Lost and Found
by sangoshippokirara
Summary: After being released from carbonite, Anakin and Padme wake up to find a galaxy torn apart-and their adult twins in danger. Luke has joined the Imperial Academy, and Leia has been captured and brought aboard the Death Star. Anakin and Padme must risk their lives to find and save their children, and bring peace to the galaxy, before Sidious finds and ends them first.
1. Anakin's Decision

_How_ had it come to this? _Why_ hadn't the Jedi discovered all of this before _now?_ Crossing his arms over his chest, he paced back and forth before the large glass windows overlooking Coruscant, the traffic in the busy skylanes zooming about in the brilliant orange sky at sunset. He was oblivious, however, to the frenzied airborne movement that was part and parcel with living on the capital planet. His thoughts, his focus, were inward; his mind deeply ruminating on all that had been revealed thus far...on the options, the crossway…the _deadly choice_ he knew he had to make...that was his _destiny_ to make. Swallowing hard, he shook his head in despair.

 _How_ could he choose?

 _You do know, don't you? If the Jedi destroy me, any chance at saving her will be lost._

Palpatine's words echoed in his mind almost painfully, as he walked over and sat down on one of the plush chairs in the empty Jedi Council room, wringing his hands together anxiously. He dropped his head in frustration, staring at the floor. The words made sense in his _mind_ , yes, and yet…Anakin frowned, trying not to lose himself to desperation. His heart was being torn in two—half of him _knew_ he needed to go after Master Windu to make sure that Palpatine, his previous mentor and good friend, was destroyed, as he _should_ be. Anakin was the _Chosen One_ of the ancient Jedi prophecy, after all. He'd known since before the day he was knighted a Jedi that this was what he was destined for—to put an end to the Sith forever and bring balance to the Force. And, yet...the _other_ half of him wanted to go after Master Windu to _stop_ him from killing Palpatine—at least until Anakin could get the promised answers he needed to save Padme, to save his Angel from the inevitable death that his dreams foretold.

He stood back up, no longer able to sit still, crossing over to the window once more, where he looked out across the Coruscant industrial landscape, toward the tower of apartments over on 500 Republica that Padme was currently residing in, hiding away from the prying eyes of the galaxy. When he'd left her earlier in the day, she hadn't seemed sick. Not at all. In fact, she was glowing with health and vitality, as only a heavily pregnant woman can. Even now, when he reached out through the Force for his wife, he could _feel_ her anxiety and worry for him—but no seemingly impending danger to her life.

And yet…his dreams were _never_ wrong. And, the answer to saving her…to _get_ that vital answer, Anakin was afraid - _very afraid_ \- that he would lose _himself_ in the process of getting it. An involuntary shudder swept through him at the thought. But, what else could he _do?_ He had to try. He _loved_ her—she was his everything, his wife, his Angel. He couldn't just sit here and do _nothing._ He needed to try.

For _her_ sake. For their _baby's_ sake.

A single tear trickled down his cheek from eyes now filled with them, as he turned away from the window, knowing that this decision could very well bring _everything_ the Galaxy held most dear crashing down upon them _all_ …and he stopped cold in his tracks. When he'd turned from the window, he found he was no longer standing in the Jedi Council room—he was standing in a vast, windy, circular expanse, with thousands upon thousands of lights and windows surrounding him. He stood on a narrow metal walkway, and when he glanced in astonishment over the edge, he realized he couldn't even see the bottom of the pit it stretched over.

 _What the hell?_ He thought, and for the first time since his first nightmare about his wife, his mind drifted away from Padme, away from the Jedi and Palpatine and the choice he needed to make. His thoughts turned to what was happening before his eyes—a Force vision. It was the _only_ explanation that made sense, and yet…

The furious sound of whirring lightsabers clashing caused him to turn his head sharply. At the far end of this passageway was a triangular tunnel, and two figures were fighting out of it—one, a boy about his own age with sandy blonde hair, was frantically defending against a taller man in a frightening black suit and helmet. The man in black, his cloak whipping in the wind around him, wielded a blood-red saber - a Sith's weapon, while the boy brandished a blue lightsaber so like his own. Anakin moved to assist the boy, but this was a vision—so, he couldn't move. He could only watch. Helplessly. Frustratingly.

The battle raged on, the boy quickly backing up toward Anakin's position. Anakin could tell that he had basic saber skills, but the man in black was _clearly_ superior in skill, and he was backing the boy into a dead end. Suddenly, their lightsabers hit the railing with a fury of sparks, and the boy tumbled over backwards, landing at Anakin's feet. He stared down at the boy, his breath catching in his throat as he beheld the boy's face for the first time. There was something…. _familiar_ about him. Maybe it was the hair, or the brilliant blue eyes, or the way his face was structured…but he felt as if he were looking at himself almost…

"You are beaten," A deep,mechanical-sounding baritone voice rumbled from the mask of the man in black as he brandished his lightsaber threateningly at the boy. Anakin couldn't help but agree with the man, and yet, he _wanted_ the boy to get back up and fight, to somehow get away from this monster who threatened him… "It is useless to resist! Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did!"

Wait, _what?_

Anakin didn't have time to process. The words seemed to invigorate the boy instead of convincing him to surrender, and the boy moved on the attack, getting back onto his feet, and the duel continued right in front of Anakin…but again, the man in black was advancing, and suddenly…A scream of pain so piercing Anakin winced, fell from the boy's lips, as the red lightsaber sliced through the boy's wrist, severing his right hand, sending the appendage and the blue lightsaber falling out of sight into the abyss below. Fury suddenly rose up within Anakin, and again he tried to move to defend the boy, to kill the man who had _dared_ to hurt him…but he couldn't move. He watched, helpless, as the boy crawled as far as he could away from the suited man, dangling precariously over the far drop below.

Sadly, Anakin expected the Sith Lord (for that was undoubtedly _who_ this man in black had to be) to destroy the boy. The boy was defenseless, and literally was backed into a no-win situation. But instead, the Sith lowered his lightsaber. "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you."

 _What?_

"Luke," The boy's name, "You do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training! With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy!" Anakin literally had _no idea_ what the Sith was talking about, but he felt a growing unease in his belly…Something was wrong here, something besides the obvious fact that a Sith Lord had just cut off a young, inexperienced Jedi's hand.

"I'll _never_ join you!" Came the furious, if not incredulous, response from the boy, beaten and clinging to the metal railing of the windswept walkway with his one remaining hand.

"If you only knew _the power_ of the Dark Side!" Anakin's mind flashed back to Palpatine, to what the man was currently offering him. The line was _so_ similar, and yet…Anakin looked again at the boy, bloodied, exhausted, and now missing a hand. He could only see anger, and abuse of someone so young and innocent. And, yet Padme…."Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father…"

Another mention of Obi-Wan abruptly brought Anakin's attention back to the scene unfolding before him. "He told me enough!" The boy accused, "He told me _you_ killed him!"

"No," the Sith replied, " _I am your father!_ "

Shock rippled through Anakin in ever stronger waves, as well as horror, mirroring the boy's. And yet….he felt the truth of the Sith's words also, even though he wanted desperately to deny it. And, appallingly, Anakin felt as if _his_ whole world were crumbling around him, trapping him in a corner as he faced some unbeknown truth that seemingly _only_ applied to this boy…and yet somehow, it applied to _him_ as well.

Confounding. Bewildering. Perplexing.

Anakin felt all this and more as he _strived_ to make sense of the scene before him between the boy and the Sith. He didn't understand, _couldn't,_ in fact. But, he knew with sudden clarity that he _didn't_ want to see more, for fear that the truth would become inexplicably clear and thereby devastatingly horrible to the extreme….

He was finally able to turn away, and the scene changed once again.

He was standing in an open walkway. It was dark, and yet the walkway was brightly lit. Beyond the walkway was a vast expanse of darkened trees stretching as far as the eye could see, their limbs towering high above him, aiming for the starlit sky above. The dank smell of wet rotting wood and underbrush filled his nostrils, and the chirping sound of forest insects reached his ears. In front of him, a blast door slid open with a hiss, and an armed man in a uniform, followed by a slightly older version of the same boy he'd previously seen in the horrific battle scene with the Sith, stepped into the hallway, followed by men whose body armor sort of resembled that of Clone Troopers. Something told him that they weren't, though. He and the boy, now all dressed in black with a leather glove covering his own right hand, just like Anakin's, locked eyes, their blue gaze holding each other's, and with a sudden shock, Anakin realized that the boy was looking directly at _him_. "This is the Rebel that surrendered to us. Though he denies it, I suspect that there are more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area."

Once more, Anakin was shocked to realize that the soldier speaking was speaking directly to _him._ "He was armed only with this." The soldier handed Anakin a lightsaber.

Tentatively, Anakin took the lightsaber, realizing that the man was waiting for his response. "Uh," He said—He knew this was still a Force vision, but he was mystified. It wasn't often that he was able to speak in visions, and in that moment, he had no idea _what_ to say. What _was_ he supposed to say? "Sure. Um. Go away." The officer frowned, looking confused, but he nevertheless, bowed and turned and followed the armored troops back out through the blast doors, which whooshed close behind them.

Leaving him alone with the boy.

The boy looked him over, a frown on his face, and once again, Anakin was struck with the knowledge that somehow he _knew_ this boy, and not just from his first Force vision. He wondered what the boy was seeing in him, what he _expected_ to see….and he wondered again what the _hell_ was happening. "You're almost exactly like what I imagined you'd be." The boy said finally, sounding both satisfied…and sad at the same time. "We look alike."

He had no idea how to respond to the boy's observations. He himself had thought that same thing when he'd first looked upon the boy's face in the earlier vision. What was it that the Sith Lord had called the boy? "Luke." Anakin tried the name out on his tongue and found that he rather liked it. It sounded... _nice._ "That's your name, isn't it?"

Luke nodded, seeming pleased, which didn't make much sense to Anakin given that the boy was still in binders. "It is. And, _you're_ Anakin Skywalker." He paused for a moment, as if deciding if his next words were the correct ones to use. "You're in grave danger. _Very grave danger._ "

Anakin frowned, staring at this boy who looked _so much_ like him, once more feeling like he should know him. " _Me?_ " He asked, his voice dry, "No. I'm not the one in danger, Padme is th…"

"It's a diversion, Fa….Anakin." Luke interrupted, and Anakin noticed the verbal slip. Before he could ponder it more, the boy was continuing to speak. "I've risked much to send you this message. I don't have much time, but you _must_ know that the **real** **victim** here is _you._ "

Anakin really didn't know what to think _now._ He thought that he was a victim of the Jedi Council sometimes, and Obi-Wan more often than that, but he had a gut feeling that this wasn't what the boy meant. "Why would you think that?"

The boy turned away from him, staring out at the trees. "I have spent long years researching into the Fall of the Jedi," He began, and Anakin's eyebrows furrowed in horror and confusion.

 _The fall of the Jedi? What?_

"It started a long time ago, when you were young." He looked back at Anakin, his clear blue eyes deadly serious and imploring. "The man _**you**_ call Palpatine, the man _**I**_ call Darth Sidious, is not what he seems. Don't trust him."

That, Anakin already knew. "He's a Sith Lord." He said slowly, but though his heart raged at being tricked this whole time, his mind wandered back to Padme and his dreams. "But..."

"But, nothing. He is _**not**_ a friend. Whatever promises he's made to you, they are _lies_. His motives are selfish and evil to the core. He wants you only for your power, Anakin. He _knows_ that you are the Chosen One of Jedi lore. _He's always known that._ He _knows_ that with you on his side as his apprentice, he can bring the Galaxy fully under his control, turning it into a Sith-dominated and controlled empire...That with you by his side, he can destroy the Jedi." Luke leaned forward, his voice pleading. " _Please, don't turn to the Dark Side_. There is great goodness within you. Don't believe him." He nodded towards something behind Anakin. "But, know this. If you don't heed what I say, you _will_ lose everything you love, everything you care about. Look and see." Luke motioned with his still bound hands behind Anakin.

Confused, and not too sure that he could trust this strange boy, Anakin turned around…and froze in abject horror. He was staring into a mirror, but he did not see his own face. No. He saw a nightmare of frightening saw the man in black. The Sith Lord from before.

He realized suddenly that _**he**_ was the Sith Lord.

"Don't abandon your family, Father." Luke said softly, "Change your future. Change my mother's future. Change my...and my sister's future. Don't fall to the Dark Side."

 _Father? Luke? A sister?_ Whoa!

Breathing hard, Anakin wanted to deny it, to tell the boy he didn't know what he was talking about….but just as before, he could _feel_ the truthfulness in the Force, could see it staring him back in the face. It was irrefutable. And, Anakin knew it. He turned once again, opening his mouth to demand more answers…But found, with regret, that he was alone, standing back in the Jedi Council room, the sun setting behind him peacefully, the rest of Coruscant blissfully unaware of the terrible truths that Anakin had just learned…and of the impossible choice that still stood before him.

Anakin's mind raced, the thoughts tumbling over and over in his head. He struggled to make sense of it all. _Luke is my_ _ **son**_ _...and, he has a sister! I have a daughter! Padme must be pregnant with twins!_ he thought with joy, before turmoil and trepidation filled him once again. What did Luke _mean_ about 'changing' his future? Did getting the answers he sought to protect Padme lead him down the Dark path? Was _he_ , his _choice_ , what led to the Jedi's fall that Luke mentioned? There was only _one way_ to find out.

Racing for the exit of the Council chambers, Anakin used Force enhanced speed to run to the hanger bay and retrieve his fighter. He _had_ to get to the Senate. The future of the galaxy depended on it.

* * *

Heart pounding, Anakin raced into the Supreme Chancellor's office to find Mace Windu with his purple lightsaber brandished, cornering Palpatine against the wall and the window. "You are under arrest, _My Lord,_ " Master Windu bit out sarcastically. In shock, Anakin could sense Master Windu's extreme anger in the Force. He was flabbergasted for a moment, having thought the man incapable of losing his cool. Sensing Anakin's approach in the Force, Mace Windu glanced at him, raising his free hand to stop him.

Anakin reluctantly stopped, his mind swirling with confusion. "Anakin," Palpatine gasped in a withered voice, "I _told_ you it would come to this! I was right! The Jedi are taking over!" It struck him as odd that Palpatine would say that. He himself had told Mace Windu that Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi had been searching for all along. It wasn't like Mace Windu just randomly showed up in the Chancellor's office wanting to take over the galaxy.

Instantly, his mind flashed to Padme, and then to the boy from his vision—his _son_ , he now knew. Luke...Luke Skywalker. The name felt as natural to him as breathing…but the image of _himself,_ as a power hungry Sith Lord in a monstrous suit and mask, cutting his own son's hand off…he shuddered uncontrollably, as Mace responded to Palpatine's accusations. "The oppression of the Sith will _never_ return! _You have lost!_ "

Palpatine's face twisted with rage. "No, no, NO, _YOU_ have lost!" And suddenly, blue lightning erupted from his finger tips, hitting Windu briefly before the Haruun Kal Jedi Master managed to block it with his saber. Anakin flinched away. If there was _any_ doubt still left that the man he'd called friend and mentor was a Sith, there was none now. His mind flashed back to Padme, to his dreams…and then to his son, crying out in pain as he sliced his hand off. "He's a traitor!" Palpatine didn't even sound like himself anymore as he screamed out the words in a malevolent tone. He sounded more like…

Darth Sidious.

" _He_ is the traitor!" Windu cried out, as he struggled to maintain his grip on his lightsaber.

Anakin was frozen to the spot, staring between the two men locked in battle. Before his eyes, Palpatine's face and hands began to melt, the skin turning a foul putrid color, shriveling into ugly, wrinkled folds, and his eyes, now black rimmed and glowing a sickly yellow, radiated pure evil with hate penetrating their depths. Anakin suddenly felt nauseous looking at the man he'd once trusted implicitly. Again, Anakin's mind flashed back to Luke, to the boy's severed hand, to what he _himself_ would become…He needed to step in, to end it once and for all. The time for him to finally _choose_ was now.

"I have the power to save the one you love!" Sidious' voice pleaded, as if sensing that Anakin was slipping through his grasp. The image of Luke disappeared in Anakin's mind, replaced by the nightmare of Padme dying. Luke had said _whatever_ Sidious said was a lie, but _how_ could he know? He'd dreamed of his mother's death, after all, and _that_ had come to pass. Why wouldn't the dream about his wife come to pass now?

" _Don't_ listen to him, Anakin!" Mace Windu pleaded.

"Don't let him kill me!" Sidious sounded like a broken, wounded, old man. It was a believable act, given that he was currently in the process of having his face melted, "I can't hold it any longer! I can't…..I can't….I'm _too_ weak! Anakin….help me, _help me!_ " The lightning suddenly stopped. "I can't….I can't hold this any longer…"

Mace Windu snarled, "I am going to end this, once and for all!"

"You can't!" Anakin suddenly found himself saying, surprising both Windu and himself. Windu turned to him incredulously. "He…he _must_ stand trial!" It was a weak argument. Even _he_ knew that. Windu had clearly already attempted to arrest the Sith Lord to do just that, and the Sith wasn't giving up.

"He's too _dangerous_ to stand trial! He has control of the Senate!" Windu's argument made perfect sense, and with that, Anakin saw his last hopes of holding onto the Light while still getting what he needed from Sidious begin to disappear. Sidious was still moaning.

"It's _not_ the Jedi way," Anakin tried again, "He _must_ live!" But, he saw the look in Windu's eyes. Windu had no intention of letting the Sith Lord live. Anakin knew it. The Jedi Master raised his lightsaber, and…" _NO!_ " Anakin yelled, igniting his own lightsaber…

Luke's voice came back to him. _Don't abandon your family, Father. Change your future. Change my future. Don't fall to the Dark Side._

In _that_ moment, his choice was made.

Anakin knew what he needed to do. He _knew_ it…and _hated_ it. _I'm so sorry, my Angel,_ He thought mournfully, his heart seeming to shatter into thousands of pieces, as he arched his lightsaber towards….

Sidious.

The old man saw it coming, and in that moment, as Anakin's lightsaber swung towards the Sith, the helpless expression slipped away, replaced by a horrific, dark, murderous look. One moment, Anakin was delivering a death blow. The next, a burst of vile, dark energy burst forth from the old man, sending Mace Windu and Anakin hurtling across the room. Anakin's lightsaber fell from his grasp, clattering to the floor as he hit the hard edge of the Chancellor's desk. Searing pain lanced through his chest, as the air was knocked out of him, and he landed in a heap on the floor in front of the desk, gasping for breath. Dark spots danced in his vision, but he was still able to make out the older man standing before him. Gone was the weak-act...and that is just what it had been. An act. In the Chancellor's place now stood a dark and menacing Sith Lord.

"I did not work this hard for this long to lose to a _boy!_ " The Sith spat, his voice gravely and full of malice. Anakin shivered—he'd almost become a _pawn_ of this man and his scheming. He would have done it to save Padme, but… _Force_ , he sure hoped Luke was right.

He tried to stand, but as he did, the Sith stretched forth his hands and blue lightning slammed into him. He bit back the scream of pain as electric energy seized his limbs, the edges of his vision going black. "You have failed me, Skywalker." And, it sounded almost like he was disappointed in a wayward son, but Anakin was no son to him. "Such a shame.," the Sith Lord actually had the gall to _tsk_ at him, "You could have saved her."

Struggling to even breathe, Anakin spat out, "She would have….done the same!" And, he knew that with absolute certainty. Padme _always_ did her duty first. She would _never_ give up her principles, _never_ sacrifice what she believed in…not even for him. And, he wouldn't let her down and do anything less than the that himself.

But, at what cost?

The Sith Lord cackled an evil laugh, full of bitterness...a laugh that chilled Anakin to the core. "You have _lost_ , Skywalker. You have lost _everything_."

Another wave of lightning slammed into him, and as it did, his vision went totally black. But, before he gave himself over to unconsciousness, he desperately reached out through the Force once more, looking for someone, _anyone_ , who could hear him. _Protect her!_

And, as he slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of Sidious' cackling laughter ringing like a death knell in the room was the last thing he remembered.

* * *

Something was wrong….terribly, terribly _wrong._

Padme wasn't sure _how_ she knew that exactly, but the rising sense of unease and wrongness had grown in her heart throughout the night. She wasn't a Jedi. She wasn't Force-sensitive, and yet, since she'd become pregnant, she could have _sworn_ she sometimes felt guided by some unknown force. And now, that force was telling her that something truly _bad_ was happening.

She paced the open space in her penthouse apartment, rubbing anxiously at her protruding belly. Her baby had been moving around a lot this evening, more so than usual, kicking her almost constantly. It was almost as if the babe in her womb could sense something amiss as well. She wasn't particularly surprised to think that. After all, her baby _was_ fathered by the Chosen One, after all. Absently, she contemplated that she was getting bigger, much bigger than she had anticipated. It was getting hard to get up and sit down, let alone hide it from prying eyes now.

She entered back into the receiving room of her apartment, listening to the fountain gurgle next to the couches and looking out at the speeder landing pad just off the veranda. She'd lost count of how many times she'd glanced that way. For about the millionth time possibly, she stared at the landing pad, hoping that she would see Anakin's speeder landing. But, there was nothing, just the same old view as always of Coruscant beyond. A gentle breeze wafted into the room, brushing against her face, tousling her dark curls hanging loosely about her shoulders, and once more she rubbed her hand over the rounded bump her belly had grown to. From somewhere in the room, she heard Artoo whistle worriedly. "I'm fine, Artoo," she called, still staring out at the view before her. When given a choice by the Queen of Naboo for her official senatorial residence, Padme had chosen this apartment for it's spectacular view of the city, but now, she couldn't help but imagine, with horror, her little one running to the landing area and tripping and falling off the edge into the city streets below. She shuddered at the thought, rubbing her belly again protectively, and looked away. No, this apartment was _not_ child-friendly. She would need to discuss this with Anakin and press him again about moving to a more child-friendly home when he got back home.

 _If_ he got back.

A sudden chill raced through her. She shouldn't think like that. He was fine. Why wouldn't he be? "Milady," Threepio said, shuffling into the room, "Can I get anything for you?"

She opened her mouth to assure the worrisome droid, but then thought better of it. "Threepio, could you try contacting Anakin again for me?" She asked, not bothering to turn to look at the droid.

"Certainly, Milady." The golden droid, pleased that he had _something_ useful to do, shuffled off to the corner of the living room to attempt to contact her husband. Suddenly, a sound caught her attention—a speeder, landing outside of the apartment! _Anakin!_ Heart racing, she whirled, picking up her blue skirts, and waddled as quickly as she could towards the balcony, as a hooded figure climbed out of the speeder. "Ani!" She breathed in relief, raising her arms up to embrace him…

But, the figure stepped back, lowering his hood to reveal Obi-Wan. "No," He said gravely, "I'm sorry, Padme. It's just me."

Padme froze, trying to hide her disappointment while trying to come up with a reasonable excuse as to _why_ she'd tried to embrace who she thought was Anakin, her secret husband. "Master Kenobi," She cleared her throat, stepping back and easily slipped into her 'senatorial voice' to address Anakin's former master, "I…I was not expecting you." She frowned. Didn't Anakin say something about Obi-Wan going to deal with General Grievous? "I thought you were…"

"I was." Obi-Wan stepped into her apartment, his eyes scanning the room, as if searching for something. "Padme, you must listen to me." He finally said, turning back to her and meeting her eyes, his gaze somber. "You're in grave danger here."

Padme was no stranger to danger. It had followed her throughout her political career. Now, however, it wasn't just _her_ —it was her unborn baby. She had to forcibly resist putting her hands on her belly. The dress she wore barely hid her pregnancy, but that didn't mean that she wanted to draw attention to it. Anakin didn't want to talk to Obi-Wan about it, so she would respect his wishes. "Obi-Wan, what's happening?" She asked, "Where's Anakin?"

Obi-Wan stilled, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "The clones…have gone Rogue."

She felt as if all the air was knocked out of her. " _What?! NO!_ "

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm afraid so. They've turned on the Jedi, under the orders of the Sith Lord we've been unknowingly working for." He took a deep breath. "Padme, Palpatine is the Sith Lord the Jedi have been looking for." Shock. Utter disbelieving shock ripped through her, causing her to gasp. _Never_ in a thousand years would she have imagined such a thing! Padme tried to picture the friendly senator from her home world being the vile villainous creature who had orchestrated this whole war…and failed. Still, she did not doubt Obi-Wan one bit. She could see the truth of the matter clearly in his eyes. She wondered if Anakin knew, and what he would do when he found out. He would be crushed, she knew. "Most of the Jedi have been killed overnight…some have escaped, like myself, but too many have been gunned down in cold blood by their own battalions of men. And, _the Temple_ …Padme, the Temple has been destroyed."

It was all too much. Too much to think that _all_ of those innocent lives were killed, snuffed out mercilessly, by those they had trusted, and to think that _Anakin_ was out there somewhere, possibly dead, and her _child_ ….her child was being brought into this nightmare, possibly never to know it's father! Padme shook her head, staring at Obi-Wan in disbelief, and her knees suddenly gave out. She ended up sitting on the couch, wringing her hands, staring off into space, seeing nothing but Anakin's smiling face in her mind's eye. Her dearly beloved. Her golden Knight. "Anakin…Obi-Wan, where's Anakin?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

There was a long silence. "I don't know." Padme closed her eyes, her heart wrenching painfully. She felt Obi-Wan sit next to her. "When I escaped my Clones, I felt…I felt him. He called out in the Force and asked me to ' _Protect her._ ' Then, I couldn't sense him any longer." Padme looked at Obi-Wan in alarm, and he hastened to add, "That doesn't mean that he's dead. You know Anakin—he's resourceful. If _anyone_ has survived, it's him. But, Padme…" Obi-Wan's eyes drifted to her belly, and he let out a long sigh. "I am not a fool. I've known how he's loved you, from the moment that he met you on Tatooine as a child. Anakin….Anakin is the father, isn't he?" Padme didn't stop herself from touching her belly this time, unable to speak. She simply nodded. "How long?"

She swallowed. She knew there was no point hiding the truth any longer. The Jedi were suddenly gone. Everything she knew was crumbling, and Anakin… "Since just after Geonosis." She whispered. "We married after Geonosis. When he and I went back to Naboo. We married at my family's home in the Lake Country."

Three years. Three whole years they had hid their secret from the galaxy. Obi-Wan rubbed a tired hand over his face, and it was then that she realized how exhausted he probably was. He must have pushed the hyperdrive specs to near overload to get back to Coruscant so quickly.

"All this time…how were we so blind?"

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way." She said softly, and she _was_ sorry. "But right now, I need to know where Anakin is."

Obi-Wan was shaking his head, however. "That is _not_ your primary concern right now. Let _me_ handle that. But first, we need to get _you_ somewhere safe."

"No!" Padme stood, aghast. She wouldn't abandon Anakin! He was her husband! She _had_ to find him, she _had_ to make sure he was alright! She couldn't raise this baby without him…

Obi-Wan stood as well. "Padme, we _must_ operate under the assumption that Palpatine knows of your relationship with Anakin. If he knows you're pregnant with the Chosen One's child…"

A loud insistent banging on the front door interrupted Obi-Wan, causing Padme to jump, one hand flying to her belly as if to protect it. " _Senator Amidala!_ " A Clone's voice shouted from the other side of her front door, " _Open up! The Chancellor has ordered us to protect you!_ "

"Oh my, how rude, banging like that!" Threepio chided, heading for the front door, "No word from Master Anakin, Milady, but I'm sure that…."

"Do _**not**_ open that door Threepio!" Padme hissed quietly, stopping the droid in his tracks.

Threepio stopped, looking back at Padme, confusion and concern clearly evident in his tone. "But, Milady, it's rude…."

"Artoo, Threepio, get into the speeder, _now!_ " Obi-Wan ordered, using his 'General-voice.' He turned to Padme. "You too, Padme. If something were to happen to you and the baby…." He trailed off. "I _have_ to get you to safety first, then I _promise_ I'll look for Anakin. He…he would want you and the baby to be safe first and foremost."

If only this wasn't real!

Everything was wrong. It _wasn't_ supposed to be like this. As the droids headed to the speeder, and the pounding on the front door became more insistent, Padme's breaths became more shallow, the galaxy seeming to collapse in on her…

And, suddenly she doubled over in pain as spasms wracked her body. She cried out, tears escaping. "Padme!" Obi-Wan tried to help her straighten, but it just caused more searing pain to rip through her belly and her back.

"Obi-Wan," She gasped, "The baby….I think it's coming!"

The last thing she remembered was being picked up in Obi-Wan's strong arms and hurriedly carried to the speeder, unable to protest over the waves of pain tearing through her lower body, rendering her speechless, her broken heart calling out in her mind for her missing husband.

" _Anakin!...Anakin, help me!"_

* * *

 **A new story! Huzzah! Let me know what you thought!**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	2. Carbonite

When Anakin began to come to, he found his hands bound tightly in front of him in a set of binders, and he was lying on a chilly stone floor. It was too dark to fully make anything else out, but wherever he was, it was freezing cold, and dust hung in the air so thickly, he almost choked on it. "Ah, you're awake. Good, good." Anakin's entire body tensed at the warped sound of his former friend and mentor's voice, and he craned his neck to try and find the source….only to have a boot come crashing down - _hard_ \- onto the side of his face, kicking him sharply forward again. He bit back his cry of pain, despite the fact that the blow burned and stung. He could taste blood on his tongue. " _Such_ a disappointment. You could have achieved such great things, Skywalker." Sidious spat his name like it was a curse, and the Sith circled around Anakin until he could see the boots and edges of a long black cloak in front of him.

Fury swelled within him. This _wasn't_ how it was supposed to go. He was Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One. He was meant to defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force. Sidious had another thing coming if he thought binding Anakin would prevent him from destroying him. Anakin reached into the Force…and hit what felt like a durasteel wall, blocking him from the power that had flowed through him all of his life. In fact, as Anakin frantically tried to call on the Force, anything that might help him escape this situation and go to Padme, he found that it was as if the Force was in his body…but it was stuck, somehow, completely useless. "Do you feel it? Or rather, do you _not_ feel it?" Sidious' voice was mockingly empathetic.

Slowly, agonizingly, Anakin looked up at the hooded man before him. Even in the dimness of the room, he could make out the cold, golden-eyed glare of the man he had once called friend, staring out at him from beneath the hood, malevolence in his gaze. On his shoulder sat a lizard-like, furry creature, staring down at Anakin, only mildly curious in what was happening around it. As Anakin watched, the creature flicked a long forked tongue at him. "You see this? This is a Ysalamir." With a shriveled hand, Sidious reached up and patted the top of the lizard's head. "It has a unique innate ability to nullify the Force. I couldn't risk my grand prize escaping me, now could I?" Sidious laughed, the vile sound echoing in the darkened chamber, causing the hair on Anakin's arms and legs to rise.

Anakin cursed in Huttese, spitting blood and drool at the Sith Lord's feet. "You're not going to get away with this, Sidious," He snarled, his voice sounding rough and unused. How long had he been unconscious anyway? His mind flashed to Padme, and worry swelled up in his throat, almost choking him. Where _was_ she? What did she think happened to him? His dreams resurfaced in his mind, hearing her cry out for him as she died. Force, was that happening at this moment?! Was the reason he wasn't there because he was trapped in…wherever he was? "Where the hell am I?!" He tried to keep the panic out of his voice. He succeeded. Mostly.

Sidious laughed again…more like cackled. Anakin had to forcibly quell a shudder. "Underneath the Jedi Temple." He paused, tilting his head, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Or rather.. what remains of it."

Anakin stiffened. It was suddenly difficult to breathe. What did _that_ mean? He tried for his usual cocky, smartass self. "What a brilliant idea. Bringing the captive Chosen One to the Jedi Temple…where the other Jedi will undoubtedly find him fairly quickly when they realize he's gone missing." He said sarcastically, but it was really an unspoken question. What _had_ Sidious meant by ' _what remained of it?'_

"You're right." Again, that mocking tone. "They _would_ have found you—if I hadn't enacted the binary chips in every single Clone's head, forcing them all to turn on their masters." He leaned forward, his voice a growled hiss. "Your Jedi _friends_ are all dead, Skywalker. _You_ are what remains of their sanctimonious Order." Sidious practically spat the words.

Anakin's stomach tightened, and bile rose in his throat. He suddenly wanted to puke. He definitely forgot how to breathe as the faces of his friends and colleagues flashed through his mind. Plo Koon. Ki-Adi-Mundi. Luminara Unduli. Jocasta Nu. Shaak Ti. Kit Fisto. Aayla Secura. Yoda. Force, _Yoda_ wouldn't have been killed,too….would he?!

Then he almost _did_ throw up as another face flashed into his mind. _Obi-Wan._ He'd gone to take care of Grievous with his Clone Troopers. Had he managed to escape? Surely…surely _he_ wasn't dead. Memories of growing up under his master, learning from him, rolling his eyes as the older man lectured him for doing something stupid again (which was quite often), saving his master's hide on multiple missions…fighting by his side in countless battles during the Clone Wars…

His mentor. His best friend. His brother.

A vague memory resurfaced then, of him calling out to Obi-Wan in desperation right before he passed out in the Chancellor's office. " _Protect her!,"_ He'd cried out in the Force. Had that message gone unanswered? If so…Padme was alone. Probably terrified out of her mind. Given her delicate physical state, being so heavy with child, that was _not_ something that was safe for her to be. Still, surely she would rally the other senators, turn against Palpatine…

"The whole galaxy believes that the Jedi have turned on _me._ " Sidious motioned to his face. "The physical proof is obvious. And, they believe that _you,_ their beloved _Hero with No Fear,_ " he said his unofficial old title with biting sarcasm, "led the charge against me. No one is coming for you. _Ever._ " A wicked, yellow-toothed smirk sent a shiver up Anakin's spine. "And, no one is there to protect your precious wife either."

"Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on her!" Anakin snarled, trying to surge to his feet, but a boot landed squarely on his chest, pinning him down as he struggled. "If you hurt her, I swear, Sidious…"

Sidious waved a hand casually in dismissal. "It didn't need to be this way, Anakin. But, when I revealed that you were the one who led the charge against me, I had to also reveal that your secret wife also helped in collaborating the attack. After that, it didn't take much for the Senate to turn on her and order her arrest." A tilt of his head again, and those sickening golden eyes observed him. "As we speak, a squad of troopers are going to apprehend her and bring her to _me_ —where I shall deal with her personally, I assure you." Sidious' golden eyes fairly gleamed with a perverted sense of delight. Anakin fought back another wave of nausea.

Anakin roared, instinctively reaching for the Force again, infuriatingly coming up empty. He threw his weight up, trying to stand, but hands were now heavy upon him, hauling him upright and holding him fast. He lashed out in the only manner which he apparently still could, kicking at the man he'd once trusted, had _adored_ as an almost father figure in fact _,_ calling him every foul name he knew. And, Sidious just smirked, watching impassively, as if Anakin meant absolutely _nothing_ to him. He had just been a pawn in the older man's game, his scheme…a pawn who had played by Sidious' rules for far too long and didn't know it, and that mistake had now destroyed everything...The Jedi. The Republic. Obi-Wan. Padme. Their unborn children. All things dear to him were now gone. Forever. "You could have had ultimate power. You could have _saved_ her, Anakin." A scowl twisted those melted features. "But, you didn't. You failed." He motioned to whoever was holding him back. "Freeze him." Anakin continued to struggle and fight as he was dragged backward, dragged towards a frozen sleep that he had only ever experienced once. _This_ time, he doubted he would be unfrozen a few hours later. He had a feeling that Sidious meant to freeze him _forever,_ a trophy to commemorate his ascension to ultimate power. As Anakin was dragged back, his feet hit something solid, and he glanced down in time to see…

Mace Windu. Staring lifelessly up at him, multiple burn marks covering his body. Dead.

And, Anakin knew in that moment, as whoever held him threw him back into a pit, knew even as he forced himself to his feet to try to climb out of the chamber, only to find no good handholds to grasp to use to climb out….Anakin knew it was over. The Jedi were destroyed. Padme was about to be captured, and probably executed for treason. His children…As the carbon freeze flashed on, and his world began to instantly solidify, frozen, and unmovable, Anakin let out one last war cry—a promise, an oath that if he _ever_ got out of there…There would be _nowhere_ Sidious could hide to escape his vengeance.

That was when everything suddenly froze, and Anakin Skywalker knew no more.

* * *

Obi-Wan cradled a moaning Padme close to his chest and carried her quickly down the ramp of the stolen ship he'd had to commandeer. His Jedi fighter had barely been big enough for himself and Padme, let alone Anakin's two droids, Artoo and Threepio. He had needed to rely completely on the Force to keep from getting caught by the Clone troopers, but he managed to do it. All while cloaking a heavily pregnant woman in the throes of labor, their ship, himself, and two droids who were worriedly looking after her. No small feat for the weary Jedi Master.

Medical droids were waiting at the bottom of the ramp, along with a worried looking Yoda and Bail Organa accompanying them. The medical droids rushed forward, a hover gurney between them. "She's in labor." Obi-Wan huffed, placing her gently on the bed.

"Ani…Anakin," Padme moaned, stirring from the hibernation trance Obi-Wan had placed her under to try to help her get through the hours of space travel to Poliss Massa in the Outer Rim. "Where's….Anakin?" She weakly shook her head back and forth on the gurney.

"Focus on yourself, Padme. Anakin will be fine," Obi-Wan gently reminded her, softly brushing tendrils of her hair away from her sweaty forehead. "Your child needs you now."

Padme weakly shook her head again, as the medics rushed her off to a medical bay, and Obi-Wan moved to follow, but Yoda's voice stopped him. "Killed, Anakin is?"

Slowly, Obi-Wan tore his worried gaze from the hallway where Padme had been carted off to and looked down at the Jedi Grand Master who suddenly seemed much, much older than he was—if such a thing were possible. "I…I don't know, Master."

Yoda frowned, looking after where Padme had been taken. "Anakin is the father, is he not?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, wondering for the millionth time where he should begin to start looking for Anakin. He didn't just need to look for Anakin because he was the Chosen One, who was destined to defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force, but also because Anakin was his brother. If the roles were reversed, Anakin would tear the galaxy apart to find him, dead or alive. Obi-Wan could do no less, not just for Anakin's sake, but his wife's and their child's sake as well. "He is, Master. He…They married just after the battle of Geonosis, in secret while on Naboo."

While Bail looked at him, shocked that a Jedi would do such a thing, Yoda didn't look that surprised.

"Suspected, I did." He sighed. "Come. Alone, Padme must not be."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and followed after the retreating medics. Once she was settled in a delivery room, he watched as Padme briefly passed out again, after she had called out for Anakin multiple times, his own heart crushing with each pitiful cry for her beloved. Force, if he could find Anakin and bring him here, if _only_ just to end her pain, he would do it. But, he didn't even know _where_ to start looking. Coruscant was now under total lockdown per Sidious' order. No one was allowed in or out. So, if Anakin was still stuck there…He was well and truly trapped now, and Obi-Wan had _no_ clue how he was going to get him out, let alone find him first.

One of the medical droids finally approached them. "How's she doing?" Bail asked, his voice rough with exhaustion and concern.

The droid tilted his head as he explained. "Medically, she's completely healthy and her labor is progressing normally. But, for reasons we can't explain, we appear to be losing her."

Obi-Wan felt as if the floor had just dropped out from beneath him, his mind instantly flashing to Anakin. Anakin _never_ did well with losing those he cared for. He'd been a complete mess after his mother died, and if Padme died…Well, he didn't want to even _think_ about Anakin's reaction. "She's dying?!" He choked out in horror. To be honest, _he_ didn't want to lose Padme either. She was a good friend, and with the dark times ahead of them all, she would be a pillar of light to the entire Galaxy. They needed her, just as much as they needed her husband.

"We don't know why, but yes. It appears so.." The droid offered as a means of a lame explanation, "She's apparently lost the will to live." Obi-Wan's chest tightened at those words. _No, Padme_ , he thought, wishing he could somehow _will_ her to live, _I'll find Anakin, I promise! Just hold on….hope is not lost_ …. "We need to operate quickly if we are going to save the babies."

Wait. What was that?! Did the droid just say…

" _Babies?! As in plural?!"_ Bail asked in horrified concern. Would the amount of shocking revelations ever cease? What _else_ would they find out before this wretched day was through?

The droid nodded. "She's carrying twins."

Silence. Utter silence filled the hallway as Master Yoda looked troubled, Obi-Wan stunned, while Bail looked like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. Even Artoo whistled sadly. Threepio simply said, "Oh my." They all simply stared at the medical droid in shock. Slowly, Obi-Wan separated himself, going over to the window and leaning his forearm and forehead against it, rubbing his other hand over his beard as he watched his dear friend suffer there on the delivery bed, alone. Twins. _Kriff Anakin_ , Obi-Wan thought, reaching out through the Force to try to find his friend for the millionth time, _Padme's about to give birth to your twins. You're going to be a father to twins. Where the hell are you?!_

He got no reply. Not even a whisper of the Chosen One's presence could be felt through the Force.

"I need to be with her." Obi-Wan found himself suddenly saying, turning to the droid. "Her husband…We can't find him. We don't know if he is alive or dead, but he wouldn't want her to be alone like this," he gestured toward the scene clearly visible through the window, "Let me be with her, just so that she isn't alone. _Please_."

The droid nodded. "Of course." And floated back into the room. Obi-Wan didn't spare a glance at Yoda or Bail as he entered the room, his mind focusing on the task at hand. Somehow, he _had_ to save her. If they lost both Anakin _and_ Padme, in addition to the whole Jedi Order this day…then they were _all_ lost.

But, listening to Padme's screams was painful. More painful than Obi-Wan had bargained for. It wasn't painful in the way that he'd heard other men talk about witnessing their wives giving birth—painful, but still full of determination to get the task done to meet their precious little one. was full of pain—and gut-wrenching sorrow. Because, it was the sounds of a dying woman. That made it so much harder to bear. Obi-Wan could _feel_ Padme's life force slipping away, as if she was just holding on long enough to give life to her and Anakin's children. Part of him wanted to run far and fast. To get away from the reality staring him in the face. But, he didn't. He couldn't. Anakin was counting on him, and Padme needed him.

So, Obi-Wan stayed, undeterred, because it was what Anakin would have wanted. At least, _part_ of what he would have wanted. The other part would have been for Obi-Wan to save Padme, to do whatever it took to keep her safe. But, Obi-Wan didn't know _how,_ and for the first time in his life, he _wasn't_ ready to let go, to just leave her fate to will of the Force.

So, while he puzzled it all out in his mind, he smiled for Padme, smiled and encouraged her to keep fighting, to not give up, whispering promises of finding Anakin, just as long as _she_ lived. Neither of them spoke of the very real possibility that he was already dead. He even kept smiling for her while she pushed, and finally…a baby's cries filled the room, so full of life—and the Force. Oh, the Force—the raw, pure light of the Force that this baby brought to the galaxy…it was enough to almost make Obi-Wan stagger back!

Padme stopped screaming. She simply stared at the child that the droid was now holding in its arms, moving it…no, _him_ closer for Padme to see. _"Luke."_ The name, spoken with such loving reverence and awe, made Obi-Wan smile a little. Oh, if _only_ Anakin could have been there, to see his firstborn, his son, Luke…Obi-Wan took the newborn boy from the droid so that the droid could go back to delivering the other baby, and he held Luke closer to his mother. Slowly, weakly, she reached up with a single finger, touching Luke's cheek gently, as he cooed and wiggled in Obi-Wan's arms. "Oh, Luke…" and then gone was the amazement, replaced by sadness. Sadness for the galaxy Luke had been brought into. Sadness for the fact that Luke would lose not one, but possibly _two_ parents that night.

But, neither of them had time to dwell on that, for it was time for Padme to continue pushing, and Padme's cries of pain and sorrow continued, as Luke calmed in Obi-Wan's arms.

Not long after, more wails could be heard piercing the air, and Obi-Wan felt another brilliantly light presence strong in the Force fill the room, joining Luke's to the point where it was almost blinding. To the point where Obi-Wan had to hold back a gasp of worry. Would the Sith Lord sense their birth? They were so strong, Obi-Wan could tell that together, if they were just a little older, they would be impossible to miss in the Force. If Palpatine didn't sense them now, there was no question he would very, very soon. This was not good.

But, he didn't say that. Instead, he translated for the droid, "It's a girl."

Padme gasped out a name, her voice weak. _"Leia."_ Already, Obi-Wan could tell that she was starting to rapidly decline, her life slipping away into the Force…Oh _kriffing hells_ , what would he tell Anakin?! _How_ would they protect these precious children?! _How_ would they even _begin_ to take back the Galaxy from evil without Padme and Anakin to lead the way?! How….?

Wait. Inspiration. He had an idea.

 _No,_ Obi-Wan decided, firmly, setting Luke in the arms of another droid. No more death. No more pain. Let that be dealt with in the future—but not today. "What are you doing?" One of the droids frantically asked him as he gently and yet quickly scooped Padme up into his arms. She gasped a little, wincing in pain, and her sweat soaked into his tunic.

"Where are the carbonite chambers?" Obi-Wan demanded in a rush, already heading towards the door where Bail stood looking at him like he'd lost his mind and Yoda looked…well, not that surprised, actually.

"Master Jedi," the droids were following him now, still carrying the wiggling twins. "We don't know if that will work. It may only prolong her death, and…"

"It _will_ work." Obi-Wan insisted firmly. Padme was dying of a broken heart without her beloved Jedi. But, her heart wouldn't _be_ broken if he could just find Anakin. And, when he did find him, for he _refused_ to believe Anakin was dead, then they would unfreeze Padme, and Anakin could help his wife fully recover. It was certainly better than the alternative—just letting Padme die without a fight.

Padme suddenly went limp in his arms, but she was still breathing. "It's….just up here to the right." The droid relented when Obi-Wan continued marching forward. Obi-Wan took a sharp turn, finding himself in a cold room. Padme gasped again, shivering, and he knew he didn't have much time.

"Be ready to freeze her." Obi-Wan ordered, and reluctantly the droids complied as he approached the chamber, and Obi-Wan carefully used the Force to lower her into it.

"Obi…..Obi-Wan," Padme groaned, looking up at the Jedi Master, as he gently laid her down. "Tell Anakin….tell Ani….I love him. Always."

"With all due respect, Senator," Obi-Wan replied, as the droids signaled that they were ready. He gave her one last encouraging smile—hoping that it wouldn't truly be his last smile for her. "You can tell Anakin that yourself." He stepped back just as the droids pulled the lever, and he watched as his dear friend—and possibly one of the last hopes for their future—was frozen in carbonite.

He prayed he'd done the right thing.

* * *

 **I normally don't take this long between updates, but things have been busy.**

 **Music inspires my scenes, so the song that inspired this chapter is The Immolation Scene by John Williams (Revenge of the Sith).**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	3. Run Away

**18 years later…**

"It's not _fair!"_

"I don't care about being _fair,_ dammit! You're not leaving this farm, and that's _final!_ " Uncle Owen yelled, his scruffy face going bright red. Luke clutched the _Join the Empire!_ Pamphlet in his hands, taking an involuntary step back. This wasn't the first time he'd asked—no, _begged_ —to leave Tatooine, to go on an adventure, _any_ adventure, to do something - _anything_ \- that would get him off this unforgivably hot hunk of dead rock. He'd argued with his uncle before, plenty of times—all his life, actually. But, his uncle had never snapped at him so loudly or so quickly as he had just now. He'd barely even asked to leave this sand infested wasteland to join the Empire, to join the ever growing fleet of TIE fighter pilots and soar among the stars...when his uncle snapped.

"You said when I turned 18, I could leave if I wanted...and I want to." Luke said, his voice too hollow to sound accusing. He'd waited...however impatiently, for the years to roll by one after another until he turned 18, just to ask again. He'd thought about how he would ask, what he would need to say to convince his uncle that it was _finally_ time for him to leave. "Everyone I know… _all_ of my friends…they're _all_ leaving this wasteland. Some of them to also join up." With every word, he sounded more and more disbelieving, more furious.

"Yeah, well, we had a hard season!" His uncle gave him a severe look, warning him to drop it if he knew what was good for him. "Maybe after next season. I could potentially hire some more hands then. You must see that I need you here, Luke."

Luke clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together with the force of his temper, the pamphlet crumpling in his hands, as his body began to shake with anger. "When _don't_ we have a hard season?!" He snapped. "I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of the pathetic excuses!" In the corner of his eye, he saw his dear sweet aunt running as quickly as she could from the house, her eyes wide, knowing that a massive argument was brewing. "My place _isn't_ here on Tatooine! It never _was!_ My place is out there! I can _feel_ it!" He threw a hand upward towards the quickly darkening sky, the twin suns of the planet setting in the distance. He knew they should be going inside to avoid any potential attacks by Tusken Raiders, but at the moment, Luke felt that he was so angry, he could probably take them all down himself without even trying.

"You don't even _know_ that, Luke! You've _never_ been out there," Uncle Owen thrust his own frustrated hand toward the sky above them, "You don't _know_ how dangerous it truly is out there!" his uncle reminded him, and Luke felt the sting of truth in his words. He was right, he _didn't_ know. He didn't know what his life was meant to be, but he _did_ know one thing...that it _wasn't_ to carry on the Lars family tradition of taking over the farm once his uncle died. He did sort of feel bad about it— after all, the farm had been in the Lars family for countless generations, and Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru hadn't ever had any children of their own. Luke was their only hope. And, sorry to burst that bubble, but he had absolutely _no_ intention of fulfilling that dream. Ever. He felt bad for them, sure…but not _that_ bad.

Definitely not bad enough to stay on this rock.

"I know my destiny isn't _here_ , that's for sure! I don't know where it is, but I won't ever find it if I _never_ take a chance and go look!" Luke insisted, his own voice rising in frustration, his cerulean blue eyes darkening with his anger.

"Luke," his aunt began, placatingly, hoping to mediate the argument like she normally did all the others when these fights broke out, but Uncle Owen interrupted her, cutting her off.

"If you still think that by going out there, you'll somehow find your missing father, you're dead wrong. In fact, joining that…that _military_ will make _sure_ that you being dead wrong becomes a reality!"

Luke stepped back as if he'd been slapped, shocked his uncle had gone there. When Luke was little, and his teachers asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, Luke always said that he wanted to leave Tatooine and find his missing father. All he'd ever known about his parents was that his mother had died in childbirth, and that his father, a small time, independent freighter pilot, had been missing in action during the period between the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. His aunt and uncle avoided talking about it whenever possible, but the _idea_ , the _hope,_ that his father might still be out there, waiting for him to find him, fascinated and intrigued him. So much so it was to the point where he'd become obsessed by it.

His uncle let it go on until he was about nine years old, during a similar argument about how _he'd_ wanted parts to fix the family speeder, while his uncle had wanted to fix one of the farm's evaporators instead. The subject of someday leaving Tatooine came up, and his uncle had told him something similar. Luke had been so angry, he'd stopped talking to his uncle for almost a whole week before he'd attempted to run away. Again. However, there was only so far a nine year old could get in the barren wasteland that was Tatooine, and old Ben, the weird hermit that lived nearby, had found him and brought him home…again. Just like he always did. Since then, his uncle hadn't ever brought up the subject of his father again. And, neither had Luke.

Until now, that is.

"You don't know that." Luke replied, though he hadn't actually thought he could find his father in years. Not since he realized that looking for one person, without any idea of his name or what he looked like, in a huge galaxy full of sentient beings, was like looking for a needle in the sand dunes of Tatooine.

His uncle shook his head, exasperated. "Your father is _dead!"_

His aunt gasped. " _Owen!"_ She admonished, "Don't—"

"It's true, Beru!" his uncle snapped, "If he wasn't shot down, he was probably taken prisoner. Eighteen years in an Imperial prison, if he wasn't already executed, he would likely die in prison long before anyone ever rescued him!"

" _Why_ would anyone _want_ to imprison a freighter pilot?" Luke shot back, his anger rising.

His aunt tensed immediately, looking to her husband, eyes wide and wary. Owen, however, didn't seem at all disturbed by the question. "The times of the rise of the Empire were turbulent. The Clone Wars had just ended. Plenty of people didn't trust each other. Plenty of people across the galaxy were imprisoned or killed for no good reason other than that they were suspected of being tied to the Separatists…or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If your father was caught flying anywhere _near_ one of their planets, he could have been mistaken for a traitor." There was a heavy silence, as Luke stared at his uncle in total disbelief and horror. "Face it, son, your father is dead."

His uncle's words made sense. Luke knew, logically, that he was probably right. But, _something_ didn't feel right about his words. _Something_ in the very core of Luke's soul told him it wasn't true, and that someday, he just might meet his father. Straightening his spine, his face cold and impassive, he lashed out verbally, "I'm _not_ your son." The words were out of Luke's mouth before he'd gotten a chance to stop himself.

" _Luke_ …" His Aunt Beru's eyes began to fill with tears, and Luke turned away from her, from them. For once, his uncle was speechless. Never, in all of his years with the Lars, had he _ever_ said that to his aunt and uncle. Though Luke felt guilty about it, he didn't take it back. Instead, he stormed off, heading to his room, a plan already formulating in his head. He was _done._ He was done with Tatooine. He was done being a farm boy. He was done not being in the sky. He was leaving, with or without his uncle's permission. _This_ time, he wasn't going to be stopped. Not by himself, not by the weird old hermit who always seemed to be there whenever he tried to run away, and not by his aunt and uncle. He was leaving. For better…

Or worse.

* * *

 **1 Month later…**

Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped out of hyperspace, sighing in dismay as the desert planet loomed ever closer below his ship. It wasn't often that he was able to stay away for a month, but he'd gotten his first really solid lead on the location of Anakin Skywalker. A defected Red Guard, under the protection of Bail Organa and the Rebellion, had claimed to know where the famed Chosen One was being kept.

All this time, all these years, Obi-Wan had worried that putting Padme in carbonite was a mistake. He had her slab hidden away in a deep cave on Tatooine, protected by a Force shield so that if he wasn't there, no one would find her by accident or otherwise. According to the monitoring panel on the side, she was still alive, but now eighteen years had passed since that fateful day she'd given birth...and the galaxy had been ripped apart. If he found Anakin alive, he'd worried how a much older -and possibly severely debilitated - Anakin would react to finding out that his wife, when she was released from carbonite, would be much, much younger than he was. A young, beautiful woman, preserved perfectly in her youthful twenties. Obi-Wan hadn't _dared_ release her any earlier, worried that without Anakin there to help her, she would die. The fact that she would likely be livid at having missed out on raising their twins was something he deliberately avoided thinking about. Not that it had mattered, because in all this time, not a peep of Anakin's possible whereabouts had ever been heard. It was like the Emperor had somehow made him vanish into thin air.

But, now that Obi-Wan had returned from meeting with the ex-Red Guard himself, he scowled at the planet, rubbing his hand through his scraggly graying beard in frustration. Well, _one thing_ was for sure. He wasn't worried about an age difference anymore. According to the guard, Anakin Skywalker was also encased in carbonite. He'd told Obi-Wan, Bail, and Senator Mon Mothma the story of how the emperor had given the Jedi's Hero With No Fear the choice to join him and save Padme, or perish. He'd told them how Anakin had refused to join the Sith and had tried to help Mace Windu in destroying the Sith Lord…but, in his exhaustion, had been overcome. As a trophy of his victory, instead of killing the Chosen One, the Sith Lord had frozen him in carbonite.

The good news: Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, his best friend and brother, was _alive._ Just like his wife. So, there was _still_ hope for the galaxy as long as the Skywalkers lived.

The bad news: Anakin Skywalker was _also_ being held deep below the old Jedi Temple, which like the rest of Coruscant, was heavily guarded and almost impossible to infiltrate. The Emperor's personal private trophy case for his _most_ prized trophy. Disgusting and infuriating, to say the least. He'd spent the last month coming up with ways to get in with Bail. Thankfully, Obi-Wan knew the Jedi Temple like the back of his own hand and had a good idea of Anakin's near precise location. They'd come up with ideas, but each one of them was insane, and would be almost impossible to actually pull off, even for a young Jedi. Still, though Obi-Wan was older and not as spry as he used to be, he had no choice. Anakin's _only_ hope of being rescued was him.

But first, before Obi-Wan made any decisions, he had to return to Tatooine to check on Luke Skywalker.

Both Luke and his twin sister, Leia, were _incredibly_ strong in the Force. Obi-Wan and Master Yoda had not been surprised at this, given who their father was. Leia hadn't been there while Obi-Wan was on Alderaan meeting with Bail, but he'd met the girl many times before over the years and had been astonished to see that her presence in the Force was _just_ as strong as Luke's, only deliberately muted.

Apparently, she had developed, at a _very_ young age, the ability to Force shield her presence. Amazing for one so young and with no formal Jedi training...and only something a Skywalker could've done. Unlike Luke, who didn't know _any_ truth about his parents (much to Obi-Wan's and Bail's annoyance), Leia actually _had_ been told the truth from a young age by her adoptive parents, the Organas. She knew that her mother, Padme Amidala Skywalker, the former Queen and Senator from Naboo, was frozen in carbonite and hidden in a secret location for her own health (though they hadn't told her _why,_ exactly), and Leia also knew that her father, Anakin Skywalker, was a powerful Jedi who had been raised by and partnered with Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars and was currently missing—possibly dead. She knew that she herself was Force sensitive, but she'd been taught to keep away from using the Force at all until Obi-Wan came to train her at the right time. It had been stressed with the little headstrong princess, that if she used her powers _at all_ , it would endanger her father's secret rebellion, as well as her own life...and that of Kenobi and Master Yoda. Though she didn't always listen to her parents, being the headstrong imp that she was, on this one topic, she listened. And obeyed.

Obi-Wan smiled—though the girl looked the spitting image of her mother, Padme, and certainly had inherited Padme's tenacity and political acumen, the young princess-turned senator was _certainly_ more her father's daughter in both her _temperament_ and the way she chose to lead.

Obi-Wan only wished _Luke_ knew that much. He'd argued round and round with Owen for years, over and over again about the necessity of telling Luke the _truth_ about his parentage. Owen had staunchly disagreed, always afraid of bringing the Emperor's wrath down on the Lars family.

Instead, Luke had been told an outright _lie_ that his mother was dead, and that his father was a lowly freighter pilot during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan snorted in disgust, like he always did at the brazen fabrication. Anakin Skywalker, a freighter pilot?…Yeah, right. Over Anakin's dead body. Once he was found, Anakin would probably punch Owen in the face for even _daring_ to suggest to tell his son that. Yes, Obi-Wan understood why Owen had told Luke this, of course—Unlike Leia, who knew and understood that to go after answers herself would be to bring destruction to their chances of ever overthrowing the Emperor, Luke was so kriffing curious about his parentage, he probably would have ignored the warnings and gone looking for them himself.

Typical Skywalker. Act first. Think later.

However, no one, least of all Obi-Wan, had anticipated that Luke would be so vastly different from his aunt and uncle that he would flat out _refuse_ to call them anything but his aunt and uncle, and that he would stalwartly refuse to use their last name as his own. He certainly hadn't anticipated that Luke and Owen would fight so blasted much, or that Luke would attempt to run away over and over…and over again. Luke may have looked exactly like his father, and been natured more like his mother, but Luke would _always_ be a Skywalker, through and through.

And, Force had the last eighteen years proven _that._

There was one thing the twins had in common, however. _Neither_ one of them knew the other existed. This was one thing that Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail had _all_ agreed was necessary, which is _why_ the twins were separated just after their birth. Both of them, despite their personalities, would have been far too curious about one another to just stay put and sit tight. The moment they met and began their training, it would henceforth be impossible to hide them in the Force. They would then have to face the very real, very malicious threat that was Darth Sidious.

And the galaxy wasn't ready for _that_ confrontation.

Obi-Wan rubbed a tired, withered hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose, before beginning to make for the spaceport in Mos Eisley…and then stopped. He reached out with the Force, looking for the bright, innocent signature on the planet below…and found it _gone_. "Ah, Sith Spit," Obi-Wan hissed, and he whipped the ship around on a credit (a move he was _sure_ Anakin would be proud of), deciding to forgo the spaceport and head straight for the Lars' farmstead.

 _I've got a bad feeling about this._

When he landed outside the farm, a million things that could have possibly gone wrong had already gone through his mind, and only years of Jedi training had made it possible for him to keep from having a full-blown panic attack. If something happened to Luke, to _either_ of their children, Anakin and Padme might very well kill _him_ when they woke up. Not good.

He'd barely switched off the engines before both Owen and Beru came racing out of the hovel, a look of panic-stricken worry etched into both their faces. Yep. Definitely not good. When Obi-Wan lowered the ramp and descended down to meet them, he could see that their faces looked haggard, as if they hadn't had any rest for days. "Where is he?" Obi-Wan demanded immediately, his voice commanding and harsher than he meant it to be. "Is he…?"

"Dead?" Owen shook his head. "Not yet anyway." That didn't calm Obi-Wan down in the slightest. Already, he was planning on what he needed to do to find the boy again. "He's run away. But, this time, he's made it off planet."

 _Oh kriffing hells!_

Obi-Wan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Skywalkers. Even the younger ones were going to be the death of him. He just knew it. "I'll track him down." He stated, "I'll bring him back. But Owen, for the _last time_ , it's time to tell Luke _the truth_ about his parents! I've just found out his father's location in the last month. Anakin's alive, and when I rescue him…"

"We know where Luke is, Obi-Wan." Beru said quietly, her voice full of grief, eyes full of tears.

Obi-Wan's heart sank. He knew he had a bad feeling about this. A really, really bad one.

"Where?" He barely breathed the word.

Owen and Beru exchanged pained looks. "He's gone to join the Imperial Space Force." Owen finally admitted, ducking his head in shame.

No. No. NO!

Dammit! Obi-Wan mentally cursed with _every_ single curse word he knew—even a few that Anakin had taught him in Huttese. " _Why_ didn't you stop him, Owen?!" Obi-Wan was close to hysterics. _All_ these years, protecting the boy…Now wasted. If Darth Sidious found out about Luke, found him in his _own_ military, there would be _nothing_ and _no one_ to stop him from doing _whatever_ he pleased to Luke. There was no way the Emperor would just let the son of Skywalker go. Never.

And, when _Anakin_ found out, he'd come after both Obi-Wan _and_ Owen, likely killing two O's with one saber. Obi-Wan mentally cursed again.

"We tried!" Owen said, sounding dismayed. "I…I just lost it. I told him his," Owen sighed and looked at the ground, shaking his head, "…I told him his father was dead."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, using _every_ calming technique (and then some) he knew to keep from Force choking the other man. "That was literally the _worst thing_ you could have ever said to him, Owen." He said, his voice hard. He did not sound like a Jedi Master in that moment, and he didn't give a damn.

Owen flinched. "I realize that...now. I just…was trying to get him to _stop_ asking to leave the planet. I was _trying_ to help him see reality a bit…"

"By telling him that his father was _dead?!"_ Obi-Wan snapped. "Owen, I _told_ you and told you and told you repeatedly over the years that he was alive! I would _feel_ it in the Force if Anakin died. Anakin's presence is strong enough that _any_ competent, trained Force user would feel his death clear across the galaxy—even more so from someone like me, who actually _knew_ Anakin on a very personal level." Obi-Wan shook his head, turning back to his ship.

"Are you going after him?" Beru asked, stopping Obi-Wan in his tracks.

Without turning around for fear of totally losing it, Obi-Wan stopped, his voice sounding resigned to the inevitable. "I can't now. I'd literally have better luck rescuing his father, waking up his mother, and figuring out a way to rescue him with the three of us working together than going by myself. I'm not the Jedi I once was. I _can't_ do a grand rescue mission by myself anymore, even if I knew exactly where Luke was stationed." He sighed, looking up at the bright blue sky above. Why now? When he was _so close_ to finally rescuing Anakin…Blast it, he'd _have_ to act. Quickly.

He'd have to _hope_ that Luke behaved and kept his head down, at least until he could rescue his parents and then they find him. Force help him. He was too old for this. "I will go after him. But...not alone. I'll keep in touch. Keep your own heads down to avoid suspicion." For better or worse, the Lars' were on their own for now.

Obi-Wan had to undertake the mission of his life...A mission to save the entire galaxy. Literally.

He didn't wait for an answer from them before he headed up the ramp, fired up the engines, and took off, heading for hyperspace….and Coruscant, praying the whole way to the Force that the Skywalkers _wouldn't_ be the death of him.

At least not yet.

* * *

 **I'm not abandoning this story, I swear. I've just been insanely busy, so it's kind of a situation where its hard to jump from one story to another consistently. I will likely update another chapter of this one soon since I know where this is going now for sure. So have no fear! A new chapter will be updated within the week!**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	4. Freedom

**11 Months later…**

He reached out and flipped the switch, holding his breath. _Force, let this work!_

Blinding light suddenly filtered through the near pitch black room, swirling along the moldy grimy walls, as a low humming, almost whirring noise, could be heard simultaneously coming from the device.

"You'd better be ready to catch -," the gravely voice of his companion was cautionary.

"Yes, I _know,_ " his reply was dry as he cut off the other man's sentence. This was a moment he had _long_ been waiting for. He'd risked so very much to reach this moment, too. He wasn't about to fail _now._ He knew what he had to that very moment, the entire middle section of the device began to glow and seemed to melt, peeling back and away….peeling back to reveal….

 _OH FORCE!_

* * *

" _Ani!"_ Anakin smiled wide, as his beautiful wife called out to him from a field of wildflowers. Behind him, waterfalls cascaded with a muted roar into one of the many rivers that could be found in the Lake country, all leading out to Varykino, the huge lake manor where they had made their home. He knew where he was. Naboo. His home— _their_ home. Just like they'd always wanted. She beckoned to him, her mahogany curls loose and flowing in the gentle breeze, free from the usual elaborate updos that she normally wore in public. Out here in the meadows overlooking Varykino, with just the two of them, she was carefree and joyous, and so was he.

He moved forward, running to her, a grin spreading across his handsome face, and when he reached her, he scooped her up in his arms, causing her to squeal and laugh, as he chuckled and twirled them around. " _My love!"_ he breathed in her scent, setting her down, kissing her gently on the forehead, as he lowered her feet back to the ground before grabbing her hips in his hands and pulling her flush against him. _"My Angel,"_ he whispered reverently, adoringly before he leaned down and kissed her, deeply, sliding his tongue inside her mouth to slowly tangle with her own. Her arms snaked around his neck, as she stood on her tiptoes to melt against him better. It was a little difficult when he was so much taller than she was—but he thought it was adorably cute, and he smiled against her lips. She was _just_ the right height for _him._

Finally, they broke for air, chests slightly heaving from the intensity of their shared moment, leaning their foreheads against one another. " _Ani,"_ Padme whispered, looking up with her soft brown eyes. He could see that her cheeks were flushed, could feel her breath quickening against his cheeks. He reached up and cupped her cheek gently, and she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. _"I don't want this to end."_ She whispered, and there was pain in her voice. Anakin frowned, not wanting to hear her pain in that perfect moment.

" _It doesn't have to."_ He said, softly, but even _he_ knew that couldn't be the case. He was a Jedi, and she was a senator. Their relationship had been complicated from the very beginning, and it would continue to be so for the rest of their lives.

Padme knew this,too, and she shook her head. He watched as her hands went to her belly. _"Ani,"_ she breathed, " _What kind of life will our children have?"_

Anakin frowned, looking down at her. She didn't _appear_ pregnant, but…something tickled at the edge of his mind. He needed to remember something…no, _someone._ What was he missing? _"Well, I guess it depends on whether or not they inherit my Force sensitivity."_ He tried to grin, but it fell flat. If his child was Force sensitive, it would probably be _very_ strong in the Force, far stronger than a normal Force sensitive would be at birth. How would he explain _that_ to the Council? But… _no_. Somehow, he didn't think…That tickle came back. No, he had something _else_ to worry about. Something far, _far_ bigger than the Jedi Council, or the other senators…But, what was it? It was _just_ at the edge of his mind…

A flock of birds in the distance suddenly erupted chirping and squawking from the knee high grasses, flying quickly up into the sky. He startled, looking for any sense of danger, but could not see or feel anything out of the ordinary. _"I don't want you to leave me."_ Padme said, and her eyes were shimmering with tears, her voice full of such pain and worry that it almost tore Anakin's heart in two.

Now he was _totally_ confused. _"I'm not going anywhere, Angel._ " He tried to laugh, but his wife didn't look any happier, and his laughter died immediately. Something was really strange about all this.

Suddenly, she grabbed hold of his hands, her grip like iron, as the sky above them straightaway began to darken. _"Promise me you'll find me, Ani. Promise me!"_ She said urgently, as large rain drops began to spatter around them, leaving wet speckles all over their hair and shoulders.

" _But Angel, you're right_ _ **here**_ _…"_ Anakin was getting worried now. Something definitely wasn't right…It was like his mind was telling him it was something he _should_ know, but he just couldn't quite remember what it was... _Why_ couldn't he remember?

" _Listen to me, Ani."_ Padme urged, her eyes wide and pleading, " _Our children need us. When you wake up, come and find me and wake me up too, and we'll go find them together, Sweetheart._ _ **Then**_ _we can challenge Palpatine and…"_

With a sickening kick in the gut, Anakin suddenly _remembered._ Palpatine. Darth Sidious. Carbonite. Padme…Padme was in danger. _"Padme, where are you?!"_ He grabbed her upper arms, willing to hold onto her, but the rain came down harder, drenching them both, and his grip kept slipping. Torrents of water promptly filled the field, causing their feet to slip and slide on the now soaked grass, puddles of mud forming around their ankles, and he began to be swept away while Padme stayed still, reaching out for him. _"WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

" _Find me, Ani!...Please come back for me!_ " Was all Padme said back, her voice growing fainter and fainter in the downpour, and his head began to slip under the water…

Abruptly, Anakin was falling, falling in a dark abyss and then…hands caught him, gently lowering him to the cold hard ground. His whole body was shaking and wet and oh so very cold, and he tried to open his eyes but saw only blurred darkness. In panic, he called on the Force to help, or at least to assess the gravity of the situation, but nothing answered him, giving rise to real fear in his belly. Gasping for breath, he tried to formulate words but found his mouth dry, his vocal cords reluctant to function for the moment. _What the hell is going on?!_

"Shhh...It's alright, Anakin. You're safe now, my friend." The voice of an old man soothed next to his ear, as a set of warm hands steadied his shoulders.

In his panic, he remembered Palpatine—he remembered being placed in carbonite, his wife… "Don't t-touch me!" He whispered hoarsely, trying to pull away, but the arms and hands supporting him held him fast. "W-What have you done to P-Padme?!" he demanded, because who else who was older would be able to find him and set him free?

"Do not fear my friend. She's safe." The man promised, "I'm going to take you to her, but you _must_ listen to me, Anakin."

The more the man talked, the more Anakin realized, in his confused, muffled brain, that the man didn't _sound_ like Palpatine. He sounded gentle and kind and…somehow _familiar._ "W-Who a-are you?!" He demanded, his voice still shaking and hoarse.

There was a pause. "An old friend." The man said sadly. "Now, I know listening to instruction was never really your _thing,_ " Anakin opened his mouth to object, but the man pressed on, "but to make it out of here alive, _**we're**_ going to need you to do _exactly_ as I tell you."

Well. That sounded pretty ominous. Given his last memories of what was happening across the galaxy, he had no doubt that, though he'd been released from carbonite, he'd only managed to jump out of the pot and directly into the frying pan. But, there was _one_ minor problem: "I can't see." He reached into the Force and felt…nothing. "And, I can't feel the Force…"

"Don't worry, my friend. Your eyesight will return in time." The man promised. "It's a side effect of the carbonite. You have hibernation sickness. As for the Force, we're within the influence of ysalamiri. Once we leave, you'll start to feel it again…but you must _not_ use it at all. If you do, Darth Sidious will sense us, and if that happens, there will be _no way_ in all the Corellian hells that we're leaving this planet alive. So, long story short...Don't touch the Force for now."

He vaguely remembered creatures around the room he'd last been in. Anakin wanted to ask for more details, but another voice interrupted impatiently. "Are we done with our little reunion yet, Kenobi?" Anakin tensed, his heart dropping into his stomach. _That_ voice he recognized—the craggy voice of Cad Bane. But, the older man's voice…No, that wasn't, _couldn't_ be Obi-Wan…could it…? "Get him in that trooper armor, quickly. The guard shift is going to happen in five minutes."

"Right." That voice was so much _older_ …and what was Cad Bane doing here anyway, helping him escape? He must be getting paid _a lot_ of money to do this…but then again, his thoughts strayed to the voice Bane claimed was Obi-Wan's. "Anakin, I'm going to need you to cooperate with me while I help you get into this uniform. I'm sorry to say it _is_ terribly uncomfortable, just so you know, but it can't be helped."

"I…" Anakin started, but he didn't resist as Obi-Wan began helping him. " _Obi-Wan?_ " He breathed in disbelief. The older man paused momentarily and sighed heavily.

"As I said, Anakin, we're in a _bit_ of a time crunch here. I'll explain everything later, I promise."

 _Every_ instinct in Anakin's body wanted to keep questioning until he fully understood what he was up against…but he wouldn't be able to face anything in this state anyway. He either had to suck it up and follow these people's orders, or they'd probably all get caught and killed. So, Anakin struggled to help the man claiming to be Obi-Wan put him in a, sure enough, uncomfortable suit that almost felt like Clone Trooper armor except…cheaper and clunkier. But, Anakin didn't complain as he slowly stood on shaky legs.

"Wow. No complaints. That's a first. Ok. Let's get him out of here." Bane hissed, and Anakin felt the older man's arm supporting him as he struggled to stay standing.

"I'll help you." The older man said, and Anakin swallowed the billions of burning questions just aching to be asked - along with his ire at Bane's sarcasm, and shakily allowed the older man to help him get moving, guiding him. Anakin lost count of how long they briskly walked—Bane ahead of them, and the older man practically dragging Anakin along with him. He tried to walk, but his legs felt like jello, as though he hadn't used them in a _very_ long time. "How long…?" Anakin began after he started to realize just how out of it he was. Nothing was different about his body, per se, as his body had been frozen in time, but it just felt… _unused._

"Not now, Anakin. Just keep quiet for _all_ our sakes." The older man reminded him quietly, breathing rather heavily. How old _was_ this guy anyway? "We're almost to the tunnels."

Tunnels? Anakin didn't know there were tunnels under the Jedi Temple…but then again, the temple held many secrets that he wasn't sure even Master Yoda knew. Or, maybe he did. The real question was, did Darth Sidious know of them? Force, he sure hoped _not._

The air grew colder, heavier, danker. Anakin could practically _taste_ the mold and moisture on his tongue as they descended deeper and deeper, as if he were descending into a cavern. With each step of their descent, he could feel the warmth of the Force starting to come more and more back into his grasp… "Don't you _dare_ use it, Anakin. _No!"_ The man warned, "The Jedi Order…the Jedi are long gone. If you use the Force now and here, so close to the Emperor, Sidious will sense us _both_ , and we'll be swarmed by Red Guards in no time. Especially if _you_ use it."

Anakin could hardly breathe. The Jedi, _gone?_ He remembered Palpatine telling him that he'd turned the Clones on the Jedi, that he'd gotten the galaxy to believe _they_ were the true enemy…but he didn't think he was actually serious. How long had it _been? Where_ was Padme? Did she think _he_ was dead?! He longed to ask, but he knew now more than ever that it was imperative that they get out. He had to regroup and recover his strength. He had to find Padme and his twins…

His twins.

Anakin groaned, earning him another muffled warning to keep quiet—Had Padme given birth yet? Were his children safe? Had Sidious…? No. He thought to himself. Stop this. The more he thought about the unknown, the more panicked he would be. He wasn't safe enough to panic. So reluctantly, Anakin forced himself to think about making his legs support his weight, of keeping his feet moving forward in the clunky armor until…

Clear, fresh air. Or, at least, as fresh as it could be in the lower levels of Coruscant. He didn't need his eyesight to know _that_ smell—the mix of millions of sentient creatures forced into tight living conditions, foods of all kinds mixing together, smoke coming up from heating vents in the streets. "Almost there, Anakin." There was a tightness in the old man's voice now, and Anakin swallowed thickly, his heart hammering in his chest. If Coruscant was now so heavily guarded, _how_ would they escape? Then again, hadn't Cad Bane slipped in and out of a heavily guarded Coruscant during the Clone Wars? Perhaps _that_ was why he'd been hired to help him escape…Anakin could think of no better smuggler.

Still, he didn't know what things were like in the galaxy now. He didn't even know how long he'd been frozen. Security could very well have been tripled...or quadrupled, for all he knew. But soon, they were heading up a ramp, entering into what sounded like a ship, and he was being maneuvered onto a cot—a ship med bay most likely, from the machine sounds and sterile smell that permeated the room. "We're not out of this yet." The man told him gently, "I'd put you into a Force Healing trance…but I can't. Not yet."

Anakin was already shaking his head, but he stopped when he felt a cup of water placed against his lips. He drank, deeply, as if he hadn't had water in _years._ "I'm tired of sleeping." He said the moment the cup was taken away. "I want my wife. I want my children. I want to know what the _hell_ is going on!"

"Soon, my friend." The man promised, patting him on the shoulder. "When we're safely away. I promise." He paused, and in a lower, darker tone, said: "At least, as safe as we _can_ be."

The moment Sidious realized he was gone, he'd be hunted. It _was_ a big galaxy, but Anakin knew Sidious wouldn't stop searching for him until one of them was dead. No way would he let the Chosen One roam free and alive, destined to overthrow him and bring balance to the Force.

Because Anakin knew, as the ship took off, starting a steep ascent into the atmosphere above, that this was what the prophecy had foretold. This was what the Jedi had been training him to do—overthrow the Sith. Bring Light and Balance back to the Force. Restore the Jedi to their former glory. He didn't care anymore that he wasn't ever officially named master when he was appointed to the Council. This was his destiny, and, his mind on his wife and children, hopefully still somewhere out there in the galaxy, he had to fulfill it. To give them a safe place to live and grow, to give his children's children a safer galaxy to grow up in. Even if, at the moment, he felt small and insignificant and very much not in control of his own body, let alone his destiny.

So, Anakin waited on pins and needles, as they cleared the upper atmosphere and made the jump to hyperspace. Not long after, their craft slowed and exited hyperspace and soon docked with another ship. Anakin heard the clink and clank of the metal as the docking mechanisms locked into place. Anakin overhead a muffled exchange between Bane and the older man, followed by the transferring of what sounded like _lots_ of credits...and then he was being helped by the old man through the hallways of the ship and stepping through the door lock. The old man hit a button to close the ship door and guided him to another med bay, telling him to lay back on the bed to rest. Glad to do so (he _was_ exhausted, after all), he lay there and heard the man walk away, presumably toward the cockpit, and soon heard the ship's engines fire up and felt the movement as they slipped back into hyperspace.

As soon as they entered hyperspace, however, he felt a warm hand on his forehead, and heard the older man's soothing tones, "Now, about that Healing trance, my friend. I think a nap would help you tremendously...While I go have a stiff drink myself."

Before Anakin could protest, he felt the soothing embrace of the Force wrap around him, lulling him gently, safely to sleep...

* * *

He shifted on the hard, uncomfortable bed. _Kriff,_ he wished he was at home, in his big king size bed at 500 Republica, with his wife tucked snuggly in beside him. Frowning, he struggled to clear the tendrils of sleep from his somewhat fogged mind.

When Anakin finally gained full consciousness from the Healing trance he'd been forced into, he opened his eyes and saw, with pleasant surprise, the ceiling of the med bay. He remembered that shortly after jumping to hyperspace, they'd jumped back out. After a few exchanged words, the older man had paid Bane a ridiculous amount of credits (Anakin wondered _where_ he'd gotten the money from. After all, Jedi weren't _allowed_ personal money of their own), before they'd embarked on yet _another_ ship, and the man had placed Anakin into a healing trance before he could say no.

Still, though he _was_ furious that he'd been forced back to sleep so soon after waking up from his carbonite prison, he was pleased that the trance had apparently given him his eyesight back. And, he was also pleased to find out, as he pushed himself upright, better mobility in his limbs. Not to mention that...he was no longer wearing the clunky armor (though he saw the uniform stashed over in the corner of the room), but rather a plain white tunic and black pants, his feet bare and his mechanical hand in plain view. In another time, he might have cared that a stranger claiming to be Obi-Wan had helped him dress not once, but twice, but he frankly didn't care in that moment.

Instead, he wanted answers. And, he fully intended on getting them. Now. He'd waited long enough.

He winced when his bare feet touched the cold metal floor, but he managed to stand up, wobbling only slightly before he made his way towards the cockpit. The ship wasn't very large, and there was plenty about it that needed repairs and modifications (because, of course, _he'd_ notice that), but Anakin supposed that for a getaway ship, it did fine. The door creaked open when he reached the cockpit, loud enough that Anakin cringed, but the moment he saw the old man seated in a Jedi meditation position on the floor of the cockpit while the swirls of hyperspace loomed out the viewport, thoughts of the ship melted away.

Even with his eyes closed, Anakin knew him. The Force whispered it as he felt the older man's presence—it was the same comforting presence that he had known for most of his life, and yet…It was different, too. Weary. Worried. Worn. More stressed than usual. Anakin had always thought that _he_ was the only person who could truly stress his master out, but now…Anakin had a feeling that he wasn't the _only_ thing stressing the man out anymore.

But worse, Anakin noticed his _age,_ taking in the wrinkles, graying hair and beard, which had only peppered red streaks left in it, and his heart began to plummet into his stomach. _Just how kriffing long was I frozen?!_ He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to ask the million burning questions he'd had since waking up, but… _Force,_ what exactly did one say when you wake up to find your best friend and mentor looking like he was about to keel over dead at any moment?

"I'm not about to 'keel over,' my friend," Obi-Wan said dryly, voice faintly amused, finally opening his blue-green eyes to look Anakin over. "Thanks for that, though." Anakin couldn't think of anything to say. Normally, he'd crack a joke, but…he wasn't exactly in the joking mood at this moment. Apparently, his shields were down, and Obi-Wan was clearly reading his thoughts. "No, I would assume not. Darth Sidious sure isn't. He knows you've escaped. I could feel his anger permeating through the Force shortly after I put you into that healing trance."

Anakin wasn't even angry about _that_ anymore. He simply had too many questions needing answers...and besides, it _had_ helped him. Slowly, he backed up until his knees hit a passenger seat, and he sank down into it. "H-How long was I...?" He finally breathed, his heart clenching painfully, as he awaited the dreaded answer.

Obi-Wan didn't answer for a moment, considering his now much younger former padawan. "Nineteen years, my old friend."

All his breath left Anakin in a _whoosh_ , and he couldn't seem to suck in another one. It was like his lungs stopped working. Nineteen years?!…He hadn't considered… _Force! Nineteen years?!_ "Padme," he struggled to say, his voice strangled. Oh Kriff! She was already older than him, _now_ to add on _another_ nineteen years…then there were his children to think about…If they survived, they would be _adults_ now! Did they even _know_ who he was? And, had Padme ever _remarried_ , thinking him dead?! He had so many questions! But, his throat seemed to close, rendering him speechless with shock.

He simply stared, wide-eyed, mouth agape at his former master.

Obi-Wan sighed, his eyes sad, a slight grimace on his face, and Anakin could feel his trepidation in telling him what was going on. "I think I'd better fill you in on what's happened while you were frozen."

"That would be really good, yeah." Anakin agreed dryly.

So, Obi-Wan began his tale. He told Anakin of hearing him call out to him in the Force to protect Padme, of how Commander Cody had attempted to kill him when Order 66 had been given, but he'd managed to escape, pushing his ship to the near brink of destruction by flying as fast as he could back to Coruscant. How he'd found Padme, who he now knew to be his secret wife, explained what was happening to her, how she'd been so stressed out and worried for her husband's safety, she'd gone into premature labor, and he'd rescued her just in the nick of time before their apartment was stormed by Clone Troopers with orders to kill her and her unborn baby, and how he'd brought her to an obscure remote medical station on Polis Massa in the Outer Rim to give birth. He paused then in his story, looking at Anakin warily, who was as pale as a Hothan _Pantran whitefang_. "Anakin…Padme wasn't pregnant with just one child. She was pregnant with…"

"Twins. I know." Anakin interrupted, his voice tense and on edge. It was taking all of his strength not to get up and start shaking the answers out of his friend.

Obi-Wan gave him a strange look, but he didn't comment on that. Yet. "Yes. She gave birth to two healthy children—Luke, the firstborn, and his sister, Leia. I was with her the whole time, holding her hand. I made sure she wasn't alone."

Anakin was grateful for that, more than grateful. But… "And Padme?" He could barely speak the words. He felt as though he was going to throw up. He _couldn't_ lose her, not after he'd lost so much more than he ever thought possible…

"She was…dying." Anakin stood abruptly, beginning to panic, and Obi-Wan added quickly, "The doctors said it wasn't anything medical that they could determine. We thought it was all the stress of giving birth and not knowing where you were. Dying of a broken heart, if you will…"

"I _wasn't_ dead!" Anakin yelled, tears springing to his eyes as his body shook violently. "I was…!"

"I _know_ , Anakin, please calm down. Don't panic. She _didn't_ die." Anakin froze, staring at his mentor wide-eyed, waiting for him to explain. "I…I couldn't lose two of my dearest friends in one day. So… as soon as her delivery was complete and the babies were safe, I put her in carbonite freeze until I could find you and bring you back to her." When Anakin stared at him in total disbelief, Obi-Wan gently added, "She's _still_ alive, Anakin. She's _still_ in carbonite, and I'm taking you to her right now. I will admit, though, there _is_ still a danger upon waking her up. I froze her hoping that y _ou'd_ be able to help her fight to live…but it was a gamble. She was hemorrhaging, and her vital signs were dropping dramatically. I won't lie to you, my friend. When she wakes, she may still die, especially if the hibernation sickness overwhelms her system."

The shock and stress of everything, finding out he'd been locked in carbonite for the last nineteen years, finding out Padme had almost died in childbirth and was currently waiting to be awoken from her _own_ carbonite freeze, finding out his friend was now _way_ older than he was, and that his children… _Oh Force, my kids!_ He sank back down into the chair, his legs giving way from under him, burying his face in his hands. Now that he knew his wife was alive still, he was relieved…but it was short lived. "My children." He said through his fingers, not looking up.

Another hesitation. "We…They were so bright in the Force, Anakin. They _still_ are. And, well, Yoda, Bail, and I felt we couldn't _possibly_ keep them together. Frankly, It was a miracle Darth Sidious didn't sense them the moment they were born. So, we separated them…"

"Where? Who…?" His voice was ragged, the sound of a severely defeated man. How had everything so beautiful gone so horribly wrong?

"Leia was taken to Alderaan where she was raised by Bail Organa and his wife, Breha, as their own adopted daughter…Although, she knows at least the important parts of your family story." Anakin snapped his head back up, looking at Obi-Wan like he was insane. "We _couldn't_ tell either of them the _whole_ story, for their own protection, Anakin. The galaxy has changed. Horribly. There are no Jedi anymore, except the few of us that managed to escape the purges and now must live in hiding. Darth Sidious rules the entire galaxy with an iron Sith fist, even in many of the Outer Rim Galactic Republic is _gone._ It is now a Sith empire. If Sidious had _ever_ found them, they would have been lucky if he just killed them outright. So yes, we did what we _had_ to for the safety of your family…for the last hope that we have left."

Anakin grudgingly saw Obi-Wan's point, but the idea that someone else had been parenting _his_ daughter, had spent all the years _he_ was supposed to spend with her as her 'dad'… "And, Luke?" He asked, noticing that Obi-Wan hadn't offered up that bit of information immediately.

Obi-Wan's hesitation was even longer, and Anakin recognized that he was debating on what he should and shouldn't tell him. "Luke was raised by your mother's stepson and his wife."

"Owen and Beru?!" Anakin said in surprise at first…but then surprise turned to dismay. "On Tatooine?! Gods, _No!_ "

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. "Yes, I'm afraid so. In fact, I hid out there as well, living in a small hut not far from the Lars farm all this time. I've been watching over him, shielding him in the Force, and protecting him and your wife all these years, whenever I wasn't following up any possible leads looking for you. Unfortunately, and certainly against mine and Bail's wishes...Luke knows less about you and Padme than Leia does, again not by _my_ choice."

Anakin didn't really know his stepbrother very well, but he sort of got the feeling he was a bit set in his ways...not to mention had no daring or even courage to speak of. He was a simple farmer and liked it that way. And, considering how much older Obi-Wan looked… _Well_ , that explained a lot _.._..Tatooine was _not_ kind to its inhabitants' skin. No wonder Obi-Wan looked so weathered and weary. He clenched his teeth. "And, Padme's also on Tatooine?"

"Yes."

Anakin slowly shook his head, his shoulders sagging in disbelief. "So, let me get this straight... It's been nineteen years. My wife almost died giving birth, but was also frozen in carbonite - apparently the same day I was, and she may or may not live when we wake her up. My children have been raised on opposite sides of the galaxy by other people, separated from one another. My daughter knows _some_ of the truth while my son knows nothing of it. Palpatine has basically gone full Sith and is terrorizing the galaxy as a huge despotic psychopath, the Jedi are practically extinct, and _we're_ basically the only hope left. Sound about right? Did I miss anything?" He arched his eyebrows and tilted his head at Obi-Wan, waiting his response.

"Sadly, there's more, _far more_ , but I think it would be best if we focused on waking Padme up first." Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, Anakin. I know this is hard."

Anakin's jaw clenched, and though he was happy that so far, no one in his family was dead, he was still unhappy about many things. The fact that his wife might not _live_ even when he woke her up. The fact his children didn't know him…and weren't much younger than he and Padme were now. And, worse, his kids were now grown adults, and _he_ didn't know the first thing about parenting, let alone doing it while he was on the run from an insane Sith Lord who wanted him and his entire family either as his own Sith slaves, or outright dead. Then there was also Obi-Wan, _so_ much older now, and though the man insisted he wasn't close to death, he looked so much older…

But, he couldn't change that. What was done was done. The past was finite. The future, however, was an entirely different story. No. He needed to focus on _one_ problem at a time, recognizing that some problems wouldn't be fixed exactly the way he wanted it to be. For now, he needed to focus on getting his own strength back, finding Padme, his Angel, waking her up, helping her to heal and making sure she lived. He would need his wife healthy and strong for the long road ahead of them all. He only had one final question for Obi-Wan at the moment...

"When do we get there?"

* * *

 **Here's that next chapter I promised! Next chapter, Anakin finds Padme, and Obi-Wan gives more deets...including how he pulled off that daring escape ;) Also, remember that Luke and Leia were 19 in the events of New Hope. Part of this story will loosely follow that story line, but only part of it, and obviously will change New Hope storyline a bit too due to obvious story changes. That's what fanfic is for!**

 **The song for this chapter is the Fallout 4 Main Theme (cuz you know...Anakin wakes from being frozen...so did the character in that game...aha? (I'm a bit lame, I know, at least I own it))**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	5. Reunited

A dry scorching wind howled around them, nearly oppressive in its blast, blowing a cloud of sand and tiny pebbles in swirls around them. A clinging, stinging, gritty mess.

Getting _everywhere._ Force, he would _never_ like sand. _Never._

Part of him was furious that his beloved wife had been kept hidden _here_ , on this wretched, miserable dust bowl of a planet that he despised with a passion. But, the other part of him...the Jedi in him...acknowledged the brilliant strategy of hiding her here. Never would Sidious have thought to check _here_ for her.

And, he couldn't deny the strategy _had_ worked.

Still, Anakin stood at the mouth of the hidden cave in the middle of nowhere, paralyzed. He could _feel_ the Force field around the very back of the cave, and even though he was by no means an unwanted intruder, he could feel the Force pushing back at him, as if trying to ward him away to a different location. To even an average Jedi, it might have done the trick, but Anakin was no normal Jedi. So, while he felt slightly discomforted, he wouldn't be turned away. But, that wasn't why he was standing there, staring into the darkness with wide, panicked eyes. "What if she dies the moment she's out of there?" Anakin croaked through a tight throat. "Maybe we should bring her to a medical facility…"

" _What_ facility, Anakin?" Obi-Wan said, tiredly. "Any decent one has long since been commandeered by those loyal to the Empire. Any rebel-sympathizers have either been sent into hiding, or they're pretending to be loyal to the Empire so well, we may not even know about them, or if we do, we _can't_ risk jeopardizing _their_ safety by bringing a well-known former senator, who many in this galaxy believe to be dead, and the once renowned Hero With No Fear, _also_ believed to be dead or at least in hiding, into their establishment. If you and Padme weren't so recognizable, I might have taken the risk but…" he shook his head. "Look, we'll wake her up, and as soon as she knows you're safe and sound, I'll put her into a healing trance. That should buy us enough time and heal her enough that, when we _can_ reach a non-Imperial medical facility, a normal doctor can bring her back to a full recovery."

Anakin saw the logic in it. If this was anyone else's wife, he might have suggested the same thing. There were too many risks in this new future, too many things that could go wrong. Not to mention, Sidious had likely put out a significant bounty on _his_ head, and there was no way he was leaving his wife, not again, not in the fragile state he'd put her in by being gone at a critical moment in her pregnancy. Still… "And if she dies?" He demanded. "Then what?" He turned tear rimmed eyes to his mentor.

Obi-Wan sighed, and Anakin knew _exactly_ what the old man was thinking. _This was why the Jedi didn't form attachments._ Anakin gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists at his side. That very sentiment is _exactly_ what landed the Jedi...and well, the _entire_ rest of the galaxy, in one giant gundark's nest for the last nineteen years. If the Jedi had been _allowed_ to have their emotions, the Order very likely would have sensed the Sith's malevolent presence infiltrating Coruscant. Instead, look what happened. Anakin just shook his head silently. Now was _not_ the time to argue _that_ point. Besides, Obi-Wan knew Anakin well enough to know that telling him to move on and _let go_ of his dead wife was _not_ how he would get him to calm down and do what needed to be done. "I understand that you're worried. I can feel it pounding into my senses. But we don't even know that she's going to die. The doctor previously said that she was dying of a broken heart. There was _nothing_ else medically wrong with her, other than what normally happens to women after they give birth to babies…and plenty of women all across the galaxy have lived through pregnancy with minimal doctor supervision. It's not ideal, but it is what it is, and _this_ is what we're dealing with." He paused, looking his friend in the eye. "Do you _really_ want to keep her in carbonite forever? What kind of life is that?"

"Of course not!" Anakin snapped, a headache beginning to pound in his head. He knew Obi-Wan was right, but…this was Padme. His Angel. His wife. He couldn't…no, he _wouldn't_ lose her! "Show me where she is." He said with renewed determination. Besides, he reasoned, his dream of her death had _obviously_ not included her being in a random hidden cave on Tatooine. Perhaps they'd changed that future, too.

Obi-Wan looked skeptical, but he nevertheless led Anakin deep into the cave. There was nothing else Obi-Wan could do. They couldn't keep Padme in carbonite forever because they were afraid of what _might_ happen. Frankly, Obi-Wan was more concerned about _Anakin's_ reaction if she didn't make it. They passed through the shield he'd placed around the cave, Anakin shuddering from it, and as they turned the corner, they saw it: A slab, similar to the one Anakin had been in, except this time Padme's pained visage was frozen there.

Anakin again stopped short, his breath catching in his throat as he looked upon his wife's expression. Even frozen in carbonite, he could see how exhausted she had been, how pained she was, how terrified…and he knew, without even asking her, that the terror hadn't been for herself, but for _him_. More than anything, he wanted to wipe that anxiety away from her face, to never see it again…but he had a feeling that this galactic conflict would make that impossible. They'd be terrified for one another…but _this time_ , he vowed, it would be totally different. _This time,_ they wouldn't leave each other's side. There would _never_ be separation between them like before ever again.

"We should move her to the ship." He said, his voice sounding hollow and ragged. "It's more sanitary and cooler than this stupid cave."

"I've excelled in stupid caves recently, I'll have you know." Obi-Wan tried to joke to lighten the mood, but he could certainly see the logic in that sentiment. Anakin, however, didn't even crack a smile. Obi-Wan, of course, wasn't offended by it. For any normal person, this situation would be more than exceedingly stressful. For Anakin, who hated Tatooine with a passion normally, this was even _more_ stressful. "Okay, I'll help." He said seriously, and both he and Anakin reached out with the Force and lifted the slab up, gently, and led it out of the cave.

They had landed the ship just outside of the mouth of the cave, the loading ramp still open and ready to receive them. They moved the slab in with ease, though at that point it got a little _too_ big for maneuvering through the somewhat narrow hallway towards the medbay, and they were forced to set it down in the entryway. The moment it was down and stable, Obi-Wan closed the ship's ramp, leaving them completely inside of the cool interior of the climate-controlled ship. "We'll have to free her here, I'm afraid." Obi-Wan told him, looking nervously towards the medbay. "The moment she's out, you'll need to pick her up and take her to the medbay straightaway. Remember, make sure…"

"I _know,_ Obi-Wan. We weren't newlyweds when we were frozen, y'know. I believe I know at least a _little bit_ about how to take care of my own wife." Anakin growled, his entire focus already on his wife. Still, he knelt beside her, staring, trying to make himself activate the defreezing mechanism…and found that he couldn't do it. If she died, and he'd been the one to unfreeze her, it would be by his hand. But if she lived…

"Would you like me to unfreeze her?" Obi-Wan gently asked after a very long time of silence.

Anakin swallowed thickly, his heart hammering in his chest and pounding in his ears, making his headache pound even more into his temples…and nodded. Wordlessly, Obi-Wan reached down and keyed in the defreezing combination, and immediately the carbonite began to melt. If he hadn't been so anxious, Anakin might have been surprised at how fast the material melted. It glowed red for just a brief moment, before spots began to melt away, revealing his wife. Her delicate fingers that curled as they were freed. The damp and blood spattered material of her medical gown that she was still wearing. Her bare legs and feet, her thighs still covered in dried blood from the twins' delivery, that jerked a little from the sudden cold. Her mahogany curls, wet and clinging to her neck and shoulders from the melting carbon, her beautiful face…

Before she could fall forward and tumble out of the carbonite, Anakin stood and quickly leaned over her, his hands going to her wet cheeks as she sucked in air, her beautiful dark brown eyes flying open, unseeing like his had done. "Where…? Anakin…?" She gasped, one of her hands flying up to grasp his wrist with surprising strength.

"Shh, it's okay, Angel," His voice was soft, full of desperation and longing, pleading. "I'm here, Sweetheart. I'm safe. I've found you." He carefully lifted her trembling body up into his arms, kissing her forehead, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, her mouth. He was no longer aware of anything else but her. "Don't leave me, Angel, please don't…"

"Ani!" She gasped, her hands sliding around until she found his face, her fingers running eagerly over the planes of it. "Oh Ani, I thought…I was so _sure_ you'd…Ani!" To his dismay, she began crying, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her fingers into the curls at his nape.

Vaguely, he felt Obi-Wan nudging him towards the medbay, and he numbly began heading that way, as he reached out through the Force, feeling his wife's presence, checking her bodily systems. She was weak, he could tell but…her heart was beating fast, as though she was energized. He held her close, breathing in her scent mixed with the strange smell of carbon. "I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere, I promise, Angel. I'm _never_ leaving you again, my Love." As he walked, he continued to shower her with affectionate, pleading kisses. "So, stay with me."

"I don't _ever_ want you out of my sight again, Ani. I…" She paused briefly. "Ani, why can't I see you?!" Her voice was so agonized, he felt as though his heart were tearing to shreds.

"It's just part of the hibernation sickness, Love." He assured her. "It'll wear off soon, I promise." He entered the medbay, where Obi-Wan had already set up the bed for her. He wished he were bringing her to their comfortable bed back home—and realized it was long gone. Just like the rest of their home, everything they built. He didn't _dare_ say that, however. Not now, not while she was so fragile. He'd never felt her so fragile before…though he could also feel her trying to hold on, now that she was in his arms, and he in hers. When he reached the bed, he didn't place her on it immediately. Instead, he himself sat down on it, cradling her against his chest, lifting a blanket behind him with the Force and draping it over them both. He continued kissing her all over her face, sweetly and gently. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her - _really_ kiss her - until she was senseless, but…she was not in the right state for that. If he wasn't careful, she might never be again. His eyes met Obi-Wan's, and he nodded. "Angel, you need to heal."

"I will heal, but…" She paused, "Oh Ani, the twins…We have twins! Luke...and Leia…"

"Shh, Sweetheart...I know, I know. They'll…we'll be with them soon." He specifically left out the fact that they would be nineteen years of age now...and had no memory of either of them. No, he wouldn't tell her _that_ until he was sure she would pull through. Before she could ask any more questions about them, he rushed on. "Right now, you need to focus on your health. Ok? Obi-Wan is going to put you into a healing trance…"

"Isn't that for Jedi?" She didn't sound afraid, though.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to answer, but Anakin shook his head and cut in, not wanting her to pick up on how different his voice sounded now and figure it out. "It can be done to any mind that is willing. You won't heal the same way a Jedi would, but…it'll help." At least, he _hoped_ it would. "I'll be with you for every second, Sweetheart. I just want you to be safe, Angel….I can't…" he lowered his voice, whispering in her ear. "I can't lose you, Love."

"Oh Ani," she touched his cheek softly. "I won't….I won't let you lose me. I swear." He cracked a wobbly smile at that, but he didn't mention his uncertainty of how much control she had over her life. "Do it."

Anakin hesitated, tearing his eyes reluctantly away from her angelic face to look up at Obi-Wan grimly and nodded his head. Obi-Wan silently nodded in return, reaching out to place a warm hand on her forehead, and she immediately fell into a deep, trance-like sleep. Anakin held her, watching her, cradling her, unwilling to let go of her. "She's already stronger than when I put her in there nineteen years ago." Obi-Wan commented after a moment, "That's a good sign, Anakin."

Anakin didn't say anything for a moment, just continued to stare at his sleeping wife. Under the trance, she was almost peaceful, despite the pain her body was currently trying to mend. "We aren't clear yet." Was all he said finally, unwilling to believe it until he saw it.

Obi-Wan stood there for a moment, awkwardly, before he cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two alone. There's some clothing in the closet over there that's probably small enough to fit her, as well as some boots that should be her size, and there are cleansers, towels, soaps, and shampoos in the fresher behind that door next to the closet, as well as bacta patches and other medical supplies in these cabinets along this wall here. We also have plenty of food in the kitchenette to last awhile. If you need me, I'll be meditating in the cockpit." Anakin nodded curtly, and Obi-Wan exited the medbay, leaving him alone with his unconscious wife, holding her closely in his arms cradled on his lap.

* * *

Since their location outside the cave was basically hidden, and Obi-Wan had placed a protective Force field around the perimeter of their ship, as he'd done to Padme in the cave, they were secure enough for the moment, providing Padme plenty of time to heal without the rigors of hyperspace travel.

Padme was unaware of the passage of time, much like she had been during her time frozen in carbonite. Every once in awhile, she awoke, usually because Anakin was trying to take care of her, like feed her, help her use the restroom, or help her shower and dress (which unlike all the previous times in their marriage, it was not romantic or even enjoyable, since standing was still difficult for her in her still weakened state, and he had to use the Force to keep her upright while he actually bathed her and washed her hair). Each time she awoke, she immediately made sure Anakin was still there. Every single time, he was. She had no doubt that he was keeping his word and was staying with her even as she slept. It brought a feeling of peace, even though she remembered what was happening in the galaxy while she had been giving birth.

Naturally, after she made sure he was still with her and alright, she asked about their children. She longed to hold them, to apologize for almost leaving them—she'd been so stressed out about her husband and everything else she'd held dear, she'd nearly died and left them orphans. Each time, Anakin assured her that the twins were safe, and that when she was well enough, he'd make sure to reunite them all. She believed him, but… _something_ felt off. Like the fact that she heard Anakin mention Obi-Wan a few times, but she hadn't actually _heard_ the other Jedi speak. Or, the fact that Anakin _deliberately_ wasn't giving her information about their children, or the state of the galaxy for that matter. In fact, he changed the subject on their children far too quickly for her liking. But, before she could ever push for the answers she _needed_ , she was placed back into a dreamless trance.

Finally, after nearly three weeks, she awoke feeling different. _This time,_ as she opened her eyes from the trance, she found, to her pleasant surprise, that she could _see_ the roof of the medbay. She blinked in disbelief at the clarity. There was no darkness, as she had first seen, nor was there any blurriness, as she'd seen the last few times she'd awoken. That, and she realized…this time, she'd awoken by herself. And, she felt…well, not _great,_ but not like she was in any danger of dying anyway.

Slowly, she sat up in bed, wincing a little as her muscles were still stiff, her eyes searching for her husband. Sure enough, he was sitting in what looked to be a highly uncomfortable position in a hard-backed chair almost too small for him, his head lolled to the side, his eyes closed, his hair curling across his forehead, as he snored ever so softly. Instantly, her heart warmed, and for a moment, she watched him sleep. It was always so hard for him to sleep. He'd _always_ been plagued by nightmares, as long as she'd known him, and it was rare for him to sleep peacefully when he did nod off. Now, however, he seemed…not completely content, but still somewhat relaxed. She also couldn't help but marvel at how he hadn't changed since the last time she'd seen him. She'd worried that he'd aged some while he'd been missing, but it could have only been a few days, she reckoned, if he looked the exact same way he did when she'd last seen him. She almost didn't want to disturb him.

But, she'd also waited for _him_ for too long. She wanted to feel him, touch him, taste him, to drink in the sight of him, to feel her lips on his skin. She wanted to dig her fingers into his curls, to feel his arms wrapped around her, protecting her from whatever the galaxy was becoming. _"Ani."_ She whispered, and immediately he jolted awake, ever the light sleeper. She couldn't help it. He was just _so_ cute and _so_ predictable...she grinned.

His cerulean blue eyes found hers, and though they brightened at seeing her awake and alive, he also frowned. "You should still be sleeping, Angel." He said.

"I'm tired of sleeping, Ani." She reached out a hand towards him. "Besides, I want you, Honey." Something like longing and wonder passed over his face, like it always did when she asked for him. He didn't argue, and merely shifted up from the chair and over onto the edge of her bed, scooping her back up into his arms, settling her across his lap. As she knew it would, she felt safe there, protected, cherished, and dearly loved, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. "I'm _so_ happy I can finally see you again." She breathed before gently nibbling on his earlobe.

"Wait…You can see me?!" He sounded surprised, but pleased...She also smirked when she felt his pulse begin to gallop at the base of her throat, as she continued to suckle his earlobe.

"Yes." She pulled away slightly, looking up into his face, memorizing it as if her life depended on it. "Oh Ani, I thought…I thought I'd _never_ see you again."

Anakin snorted. "That's _my_ line, Angel. You almost didn't make it."

Reaching up, she caressed his cheek, and he leaned into her touch, planting a feather light kiss on the palm of her hand. "Thanks to you and Obi-Wan, I feel much, _much_ better." She promised. That brought a frown to Anakin's face, and he got that look in his eye that told her he was confirming that fact for himself through the use of the Force. She waited patiently, before his expression melted from doubt to one of relieved satisfaction.

"I'm glad." He said, and he leaned down and kissed her, tenderly at first, as if she would break. _Oh no,_ she thought, _I'm not some fragile glass doll for you to handle with care. Not anymore._ She flicked her tongue out and across his lower lip, her intentions clear. Anakin hesitated (which was unlike him—Force, she must have _really_ scared him), and she flicked her tongue across his upper lip next, insisting. Finally, he relented, opening his mouth to her, and the chaste kiss turned passionate instantly, their tongues melding and mating, as they both moaned wantonly, their breath mingling, her fingers wound tightly in his curls and his in hers, and…

Slowly, she pulled away, looking up at him in awe. _"Anakin,_ " She said breathlessly, "What happened?" Again, that hesitation, and she pushed. "I'm _fine,_ Anakin. I'm not going to die. I _need_ to know answers. You can't hide them from me forever, y'know." She gave him a stern look, the one she always gave him when he was being stubborn.

Anakin recognized that look, and sighed. "Okay." He said, straightening up, adjusting her in his lap to make sure she was more comfortable. "It's not a good story, Angel."

"Considering what _would_ have happened had Obi-Wan not come to the apartment for me, I figured it wouldn't be." She remarked dryly.

Anakin's lips tightened at the reminder, but he began his tale. She listened intently, watching him closely, as he told her of how he'd gone to Yoda about his dreams of her dying, and how Yoda had responded to him. He told her of going to Palpatine at the Opera at his behest, and how he'd found out that he was a Sith Lord, how Palpatine had promised to save her from death with the power of the Dark Side if Anakin would bow to him and become his apprentice. _"Oh Ani,"_ she said, shaking her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Even if the Dark Side _could_ do that, which I highly doubt, I would still _never_ have let that touch me. _Ever._ It's not worth living if you sell your soul to something so foul and evil."

Something dark passed over his eyes, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he'd actually seriously considered the proposition. She shuddered to think what would have become of him, what would have become of _them,_ had he done so. "What if the roles were switched, Angel?" He asked, "What would _you_ do?"

Padme considered her answer carefully. "I would do everything in my power to save you, _but,_ " She added when he opened his mouth to obviously point out that was what he'd been doing, "I also _wouldn't_ have sold my soul, because I _know_ it would change me into someone completely different, someone you didn't know, someone you _couldn't_ love anymore, and I would _hate_ the person I'd become from such a choice as well. How would that make you feel, Ani?"

Anakin scowled, but she saw the reluctant acknowledgement of her words in his expression. "I'd be heartbroken."

" _Exactly._ So, you see?" She reasoned, "I'm so _glad_ you didn't sell yourself to that vile, wretched, evil man. I would have lost the man I fell in love with. _Forever._ " She kissed him to reiterate that, hoping that he knew he'd made the right decision. "Why didn't you do it, if I may ask?" She asked when they pulled away.

In answer, Anakin launched back into his story, telling her about the vision of seeing their adult son, Luke, showing him what he would become if he turned to the Dark Side. He didn't give her all the details, and from the haunted look in his eyes, she could tell that Luke had shown him enough detail to effectively change his mind. She was _more_ than grateful for this, and she longed once again to ask to see her children, but then Anakin was telling her about the confrontation in Palpatine's office, how he'd attempted to help Mace Windu destroy a seemingly feeble Darth Sidious…and had been overpowered by a mighty Sith Lord. How he'd reached out blindly in the Force to Obi-Wan, begging him to save her, before he'd blacked out. How he'd later woken up in a dark corner in the deepest bowels of the Jedi Temple, Mace Windu lying dead nearby, and ysalamiri keeping him from reaching out into the Force to call for help. How he too had been placed in carbonite…

"Wait." A dreadful feeling sank into the pit of her stomach. "I thought…It should have only been a few days…you look the same as I remember but…" Suddenly, she felt as if the whole world were tilting out from beneath her. "Anakin." She demanded gravely, "Tell me the truth...How long have we both been frozen?"

Anakin stared at her for a moment, and she did not miss the pained look in those crystal blue eyes. "Maybe we should talk about that later…"

" _Anakin Skywalker!_ " She snapped, doing her best to keep from screaming. Please, Force no…her children… "How. Long. Have. We. Been. Frozen?!" She tugged on the curls at his nape once to reiterate her demand.

She watched him swallow thickly, and for a moment, she thought he wasn't going to answer her. Then, "Nineteen years, Angel." He said softly, but he might as well have yelled it directly in her ears. She suddenly felt as though she'd been punched in the gut, and it was suddenly difficult to breathe. She was shaking her head, staring at her husband in horror. "Obi-Wan didn't want to wake you up any earlier in time while you were in such a fragile state, not without me there to help you…" Anakin began to explain, but at the mention of Obi-Wan, Padme remembered. She hadn't heard him speak—surely, if it had been nineteen years, he would have sounded older, he would have aged…

She had to see for herself.

Abruptly, before she could think of the ramifications, she pushed herself out of Anakin's arms, almost falling to the floor, but she managed to set her feet underneath her and stand, shaking.

"Padme!" Anakin was immediately up and at her side, his hands on her elbows, steadying her. "You shouldn't be up. You should be in bed…"

"Where the _hell_ is Obi-Wan?!" She demanded, ignoring the fact that Anakin was trying to steer her back to that stupid uncomfortable bed. She wasn't going to rest until she got some _damn_ answers! Her initial horror had turned to white hot fury, and she would die trying, if she had to, to _finally_ get some answers.

The medbay door opened, and in stepped an old man that Padme almost didn't recognize, a grim expression on his face. "I'm right here, Senator." Padme froze, recognizing him without a shadow of a doubt. _Force,_ he looked so...so… _Kriff!_ It really _had_ been nineteen years. The proof, staring her straight in the face, was undeniable. "Please, Padme...listen to Anakin and sit back down. I'll explain whatever you want to know."

"Obi-Wan," Anakin began, his voice full of disapproval, but Obi-Wan had given his former student a fixed, stern look.

"She's well enough to know, Anakin. Frankly, there are…things that I must tell the _both_ of you as well." She felt Anakin tense up beside her, and she knew that he hadn't been expecting Obi-Wan to say _that._

" _Why_ do I have a sneaky feeling that you're about to deliver _more_ bad news?" Anakin growled.

"Because it's rare to give good news these days." Obi-Wan replied grimly. "Please, sit. Both of you." Anakin and Padme looked at one another warily, but they both reluctantly sat down, turning to the older man expectantly. "Now. First, I'd better explain to you what I told Anakin." He said to her, taking a seat himself on a metal stool across from them. She didn't fail to notice the tell-tale sign of age, him wincing as his joints creaked while sitting down, and her heart sank further into her chest. She didn't even _know_ where to begin to face this, but she decided it best to listen as Obi-Wan began telling her exactly what he'd told Anakin before. At the end, she closed her eyes, taking a long, deep breath. Leia. Raised by Bail and Breha as their adopted daughter. She was…happy, that she'd gone to them, she guessed. They were good people, and even better friends. She had no doubts that Bail would have done the very best he could to make sure she was raised right and that she would know as much as was safe to know about her true family legacy.

Luke however…while she was happy that he too had been raised by good people, she was dismayed at how little Luke knew about his family. Force, her son thought she was _dead_ —and he might as well not know anything about his father, since the only things he knew were total lies. This fact angered her greatly. She wanted nothing more than to get up, march across the sands of Tatooine right this minute, to the Lars homestead, and give her in-laws a piece of her mind. She almost smiled imagining the stunned looks of horror and amazement, as she showed up presumably from the dead, with an equally enraged Anakin and a resigned Obi-Wan in tow. She wondered what Luke would think of _that_ …it would be such a shock…

But even worse was the knowledge that she'd missed _so much_ …she'd wanted _so badly_ to have their children in a safe galaxy, free from war…to live on Naboo with them at Varykino. To raise them together with Anakin by her side. And, yes, maybe it _had_ been a naïve dream from the start. A Jedi and a Senator…a secret marriage…the arrival of Luke and Leia would _not_ have gone unnoticed. But oh, she'd wanted to be a mom. To Anakin's babies especially. She hadn't realized just _how_ badly she'd wanted it until she'd found out she was pregnant. And now…

She abruptly turned her attention from her own internal musings back to the aging, grim faced Jedi Master before them.

" _This_ is where I'm going to give more details about everything _else_ that's going on." Obi-Wan said, interrupting her before she could spiral out of control into despair. Perhaps it was a good thing he'd interrupted her train of thought…she couldn't afford to lose it just then. Not yet, at least. Drawing upon years of Senatorial experience, she took a deep breath and focused, becoming more professional than anything else.

It was a good thing too, because not one thing Obi-Wan said next was pleasant.

He told them of the first few years after the fall of the Republic, how the _entire_ galaxy had been thrown into chaos. Obi-Wan had hoped that the Outer Rim planets and territories wouldn't feel the effect of it as much, but Luke had been two when Storm Troopers first showed up at the Lars homestead to document who lived there. Thankfully (and wisely), Owen had given Luke's last name as his own, so at least according to _Imperial records_ , Luke was listed as Luke Lars; though, apparently Luke hadn't been one bit shy about using Skywalker the moment he found out that it was his father's real last name. She felt Anakin shift at that, and she glanced over at him to find that there was just a bit of pride in his eyes, despite his grim expression. She too, felt that pride, and she thought that perhaps Luke would easily be able to accept her as his mother…

Obi-Wan explained what he could of the Empire's tactics. He tried his best to give as many details as he could, but much of his knowledge was incomplete, based on what details Bail had given him over the years, plus what he'd heard the few times he'd gone into town. After all, he _was_ one of the most wanted men in the galaxy. It wouldn't have been wise to draw attention to himself.

The Senate was still _technically_ in place, but it was now little more than a puppet. At first, Sidious had made a show of pretending to listen to the senators, but it became clear rather quickly that he either didn't bother to really listen, or he merely used it as an opportunity to squash any hint of or potential resistance. Quietly, of course. There were some senators, from worlds where the Empire's influence brought more benefits than losses, who believed the Empire was an improvement on the Republic. But, as of recently, Sidious hadn't even bothered to show up to senatorial meetings at all, using his lackeys to conduct it and report back to him _anything_ suspicious. In fact, many people thought the Senate would soon end altogether. Padme felt a pang in her heart... _All_ of her hard work to build a better galaxy…gone. As if everything had been meaningless, useless.

Life had become almost _impossible_ across the galaxy for non-human species. Many of them, such as the Wookies on Kashyyyk, had been forced into slavery. Anakin snarled at this, and Obi-Wan ominously added that slavery had, sadly, become rampant across the galaxy under Sidious' iron fist, with conditions for _many_ so much more grim than it had been for slaves back in _their_ day. Anakin's fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles had turned white. Padme reached out, putting a hand tenderly on top of his. She knew how Anakin hated slavery, for he had once been one himself. He had once vowed to eradicate the practice entirely from the galaxy, and now, after the last nineteen years, they were facing an issue that was _so_ much larger than they had ever dreamed possible. How could the people of the galaxy be okay with this?

But, then Obi-Wan began explaining what he knew about the Rebellion. For many years, small factions had risen up sporadically all over the galaxy, usually spearheaded by those trying to liberate their home worlds from the tyranny of the Empire. Bail had been covertly aiding these rebel cells over the years, and recently, under the direction of Mon Mothma, they had banded together into one solidified Rebellion, working towards the overthrowing of the entire Empire across _all_ worlds and territories. Still, despite the fact that they were becoming more and more of a threat to the Empire, they were weak and vastly outnumbered and not yet strong enough to turn the tide of war in their favor.

"Recently, we lost a good number of people." Obi-Wan said solemnly, "Two Jedi—one named Kanan Jarrus, and your old Padawan, Ahsoka, plus Kanan's Padawan, Ezra Bridger."

" _What?!"_ Both Padme and Anakin said at once, shock registering on their faces.

"What happened?!" Anakin demanded, his voice hard. They didn't know this Kanan or Ezra, but _Ahsoka_ …both of them had loved Ahsoka almost as their own daughter. They hadn't seen or heard from Ahsoka since she'd left the order…

"I _should_ say that we don't know that they're dead. They're technically missing in action. Ahsoka went missing first, after a battle against Inquisitors…"

"Against _what?!"_ Padme frowned.

"Oh. Yes. Inquisitors. You see, despite the "Rule of Two," to our knowledge, Sidious hasn't _actually_ taken an apprentice…At least, not that we _know_ of, though I'm personally sure that he _has._ We've had more trouble with Inquisitors…These are Force sensitives who are controlled by the Dark Side. They're almost like Sidious' personal strike squad, if you will. Usually, they're the ones hunting down Force-sensitives…if they're children, they simply disappear without a trace. If they're adults, they usually are found dead." Padme swallowed thickly, thinking of all those children born into the galaxy, innocent of the conflict raging around them, only to be taken by those…things. She wondered if they were alive, what their parents thought… She wondered if her _own_ children would have met the same fate had they not been hidden away. She felt a surge of gratitude for the Organa's and the Lars'.

"Anyhow," Obi-Wan continued, "she got into a battle with them on the Sith planet of Korriban. I don't know _what_ she was doing there, but that was her last known location, and she just disappeared, vanished, and we haven't heard from her since. That was several months ago, unfortunately. Now, Kanan and Ezra are only very recently missing. They were part of Phoenix Squadron, and though the Rebellion prospered with them assisting, a new threat arose—Grand Admiral Thrawn." Obi-Wan paused, stroking his beard, a distressed frown on his face. "Thrawn…I'm not familiar with the man myself, but from what I hear, he's… _quite_ a conniving, ruthless, yet brilliant tactician. Possibly Sidious' best. Perhaps the best the galaxy has _ever_ seen. He's known for learning and understanding his enemies so intimately, that he can literally predict their every move. He's also non-human, a Chiss, which makes his position so…unique, given Sidious' disdain and disregard for _all_ non-human species. There was a run in with him recently, and according to Bail, Kanan and Ezra and much of Phoenix squadron went missing in one fell swoop. Hera is still leading in the Rebellion, but she _claims_ to not know where they are. She might be protecting their location for reasons unknown, but the point is, the Rebellion has lost their Jedi-edge. If we don't find hope soon, we may lose this war for good."

"Well, the galaxy still has _us."_ Anakin replied fervently, "They also have Luke and Leia…and while they aren't trained, we _can_ train them…"

"That's…the o _ther_ thing I wanted to talk to you about." Obi-Wan interrupted, and Padme held her breath. The look in Obi-Wan's expression…whatever he was about to say, it was possibly the _worst_ news out of all of the awful news he'd already given them. "Leia is already caught up in the Rebellion. She's acting as a Senator from Alderaan, yes, but she's using her position to bring aid to those in need across the galaxy, whether that be rebels or those oppressed by the Empire." He gave a small smile in Padme's direction. "It's actually very reminiscent of someone _else_ I know." Padme blushed with pride for her daughter, though she _was_ , of course, concerned for her safety at the same time. If Sidious found out just _what_ Leia was really doing, there would be hell to pay, she was sure of it. And, if he also found out that Leia was _their_ daughter…her daughter would be in very grave danger indeed. It was _vital_ that they reunited as soon as possible to face the threat together as one family. "Luke is also caught up in the war, but in a…different way."

"Different? What do you mean 'different'? How so?" She asked, her grip on Anakin's hand tightening.

Obi-Wan suddenly looked almost…defeated. "I didn't anticipate just _how_ different Luke would be from the Lars." _Oh no…please no,_ Padme thought desperately. "Luke is so much like you, Anakin, it is almost unreal. He looks just like you and well…," Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed his hand wearily over his face, "Owen and Luke especially. You see, Luke… _hated_ living on Tatooine. _Hated_ it. He wanted to leave, his entire life. He ran away many multiple times, and each time I was able to stop him and bring him home. Last year, however, I got a message from Bail about a lead on Anakin's location, so I left the planet. When I came back, I couldn't feel Luke's presence anywhere. I came back to the Lars homestead, and found out that, while I had been off planet, Owen and Luke had gotten into a massive argument. Luke wanted to join the Empire TIE fighter squadron in sheer desperation to get off the planet. Not because he believed in it," he added quickly when Anakin and Padme looked at Obi-Wan in horror. "He was just desperate to leave and go... _anywhere_ else. But, Owen…was an _idiot,_ quite frankly, and told Luke with finality that he wasn't leaving Tatooine, and then the subject of well, _you, Anakin,_ came up, and Owen told Luke that you were dead by now, either executed by the Empire as a Separatist traitor or dead from having sat rotting away in some Imperial prison. Luke…took it hard and ran away to join the Empire."

"I'm sorry." Anakin said, his voice deadly calm, "But, my son is _where?!"_ He held up a hand and shook his head, as if he hadn't heard his mentor correctly.

Obi-Wan sighed. "With the Empire. I don't know _where_ he's stationed…"

"Why in all the _Corellian hells_ didn't you go after him, Obi-Wan?!" Padme surprised herself by yelling, but she didn't really care. She'd _just_ found out that she'd been frozen in carbonite for nineteen years, she'd missed raising her children, everything she'd worked for was ruined, the entire galaxy was oppressed by a despotic, tyrannical, Force-empowered madman, and _all_ of the fully-trained Jedi, minus Anakin and Obi-Wan, were either dead, or in hiding. Now her _daughter_ was in danger of being found out for her Rebel activities, and her _son_ was actually _**in**_ the hands of the Empire?!

It was too much.

"Look at me, Padme. Really _look_ at me. I _can't_ lead a daring rescue mission on my own anymore." Obi-Wan didn't seem offended by her yelling. In fact, he almost looked as though he thought he deserved it somehow. "I can't apologize enough. It was _my_ duty to protect him, and I failed. I knew this, and I chose to follow through on that lead from Bail, and I rescued Anakin instead with the help of Cad Bane. I spent ten months infiltrating the lower levels of Coruscant, trying to find the _exact_ location of Anakin's prison, trying to find a way to rescue him and get out of there and off planet with _both_ of us still alive. Padme, you and Anakin are _literally_ our last hopes. If you two can't find a way to find your son and get him out of the Empire's clutches alive, no one can—least of all an old man like me."

Padme grudgingly recognized the truth of his words, but she hated them still. Her son… _Force_ , what if Sidious had already found out _who_ he was? There would be no one to stop him from bringing Luke to him…if Luke had even _close_ to the power Anakin had, there would be no hope of winning this war, because there was no way that she or Anakin would _ever_ harm their son.

"Where is he?" Anakin demanded. "What do you know?"

Obi-Wan hesitated. "Well…like I said, I was on Coruscant for the better part of the last year. I've had Bail trying to find out as much information as possible, but so far, we haven't found out anything. And, that's not necessarily a bad thing." He added in a rush when both Padme and Anakin began to protest. "Frankly, no news is good news. To be honest, if Sidious had the son of Anakin Skywalker as his new apprentice, or if he'd killed him outright, he wouldn't be shy about flaunting his new puppet...or his revenge against you...for the galaxy to see. At the very least, _**I**_ would have heard about it on Coruscant. But, there has been nothing. Not a peep, and in this situation, it's better than something, even if it _does_ make the task of finding him very nearly impossible."

For a moment, there was utter silence as Padme and Anakin absorbed those words. Then, slowly, Padme stood up. This time, Anakin didn't protest…looking at his pale expression, he seemed like he was going into shock. "Anakin." Padme said, sternly, and her husband looked up to meet her eyes. "I'm done waiting around. I don't give a _damn_ about resting or anything else. I want my children— _both_ of them. And, then I want to hunt Sidious down and I want to _kill_ him." She gave him a no-nonsense look that she knew would convey that _nothing_ he said would dissuade her. "And, you're _not_ going to stop me."

Anakin's jaw tightened, and she knew that he was thinking about her health…but what Obi-Wan had just told them was enough for him to know that she was right. They _couldn't_ afford to sit around _hoping_ that their children would continue to be fine. "Obi-Wan." He said, turning his gaze back to his old master. "I understand that you're not as young as you used to be." There was genuine pain in Anakin's voice as he said that. "But, my children are in danger. I would appreciate it if you _at least_ accompanied us and pointed us in the right direction. You know more about this… _life_ , than we do right now. Frankly, we need your help."

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "It would be an honor, Anakin." He said softly. "I truly am sorry. For everything."

Anakin shook his head, waving off his friend's apology. "Don't. If not for you, I would still be in carbonite. Padme would be dead. My children…they might have become those Inquisitors…or worse. So, honestly, I have more to thank you for than hold a grudge with you for." Then, Anakin stood too, his hand finding Padme's, giving it a reaffirming squeeze. They would do this. Together. As husband and wife, not merely Jedi and Senator. "When do we leave?"

Obi-Wan also stood, and though the situation was grim, Padme thought she saw the relief in Obi-Wan's face. Finally, hope had come to the Rebellion. "Right after we stop by my home. I have some supplies I think you'd be very interested in." As they made their way to the cockpit, Obi-Wan couldn't hold back a slight grin, despite the gargantuan task ahead of them, shooting Anakin an amused look over his shoulder, "So, at long last, Kenobi and Skywalker together again, eh?"

Anakin climbed into the pilot's chair and glanced back at Padme buckling into her own seat before meeting Obi-Wan's look head on with a smirk, "You mean Skywalker and Kenobi. Get it right, Master."

They all chuckled briefly as Obi-Wan climbed into the co-pilot's chair, input the coordinates for his home, and Anakin fired the engines, lifting them up and heading off across the vast sands of Tatooine, beginning their quest to save their family...and the galaxy.

* * *

 **That was a super long chapter...partly because my Beta is going on vacation so idk when I'll be able to update again. Hopefully soon. Next chapter is when we start to see events from New Hope...so here we go!**

 **The song for this chapter is The Wolven Storm (Priscilla's Song) from the Witcher 3, performed by Malukah, which can be found on Spotify.**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	6. A Message, and a Meeting with Thrawn

He had to be kidding. Right?

That was the first thing Anakin thought of.

When they set down outside of Obi-Wan's home, there were two disturbing things that greeted Anakin: First, the size of Obi-Wan's home. The Jedi believed in living a minimalistic lifestyle, true. They didn't own much of anything except the clothes on their backs and their lightsabers. The Order had always provided anything else they required. But this… _this_ was pathetic. Anakin wasn't sure that the three of them would even be able to _fit_ inside of the little hovel. He slowly turned his head to level a disbelieving gaze at his now much older best friend. Padme, however, always the polite one, said in her most diplomatic tone, "Oh, what a lovely home, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan snorted as he turned off the engines of the ship. "You don't need to be modest, Padme. I am well aware of how… _quaint_ it is. Even by Jedi standards." He sighed, one hand stroking his beard in worry. Anakin noticed that Obi-Wan did a lot of this these days. "If it means being left alone though, particularly by _Imperials_ …you do what you have to do."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, now peering through the dusty window with narrowed eyes. Something…shiny moved in front of the house. "You got yourself droids?" Anakin asked. Obi-Wan wasn't a huge fan of droids. Never had been. It seemed _strange_ for him to share what little space he had with one.

Obi-Wan frowned, glancing out the viewport. "What? Of course not, I…" He broke off. Upon further inspection, Anakin saw why. Anakin suddenly stood up, turning and activating the landing ramp, and ran out into the scorching hot desert. "Anakin!" Obi-Wan called after him, but he didn't stop.

Anakin _knew_ those two droids. Knew them like he knew that Tatooine had two suns.

The gold-plated droid was the first to see him. "Oh, _finally,_ we're saved!" Threepio wailed, waving his arms, waddling towards him. "My counterpart here absolutely _insisted_ that we come all the way out here to this dreadful place, and I thought for sure that…wait, Artoo!" The little blue and white astromech droid was suddenly wheeling as fast as he could towards Anakin, squealing in delight. "What do you mean, ' _You're back'_? Artoo, _who_ is this…?"

Anakin dropped to his knees before Artoo, his hands going to either side of the droid's dome, smiling widely into the receptor lens. "It's good to see you too, Buddy!" Anakin laughed, wiping off the dust and dirt on his little friend. "I didn't think…I thought for sure…" Anakin leaned in and hugged the beloved R2 unit that had been with him on nearly every mission he'd undertaken nineteen years before. Artoo tweedled and beeped his own delight at being reunited with his long lost master, his dome spinning back and forth, making Anakin laugh.

Anakin felt Padme leave the ship, walking over to join them. He could feel her own delight - and shock - at finding their personal droids here. Artoo beeped a long greeting to her, and as she came to stand beside him, she too placed an affectionate hand on the droid's domed head, giving him a loving pat, which he twittered and shook at, making Padme and Anakin both laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised." She said dryly, "Out of _all_ the droids in the galaxy, naturally you two _would_ somehow find your way back to us."

"I'm…I'm terribly sorry, milady, but… _Who_ are you?" Threepio said as he finally finished approaching them.

"Sorry." Obi-Wan's voice called out behind them as he approached the little reunion. "We had to reset Threepio's memory. We couldn't risk him blabbing all of our secrets to any Imperial who asked."

Threepio jolted in what was his way of being surprised. "I beg your pardon, Sir?!" he said, outraged.

Anakin couldn't help but laugh. "It's alright. I understand. At least he's still got his personality. I'm sure Artoo here, who apparently still has _his_ memories, can fill Threepio in on things past."

"I beg your pardon, Sir, but _how_ is it that you know my name? And, Artoo's?" the golden droid asked, obviously quite perplexed by this turn of events.

Artoo snickered in a series of melodic beeps before blowing his version of a raspberry at his counterpart, causing all three humans to chuckle.

Threepio humphed indignantly, as Obi-Wan spoke to him, "Now, _what_ are you two doing all the way out here? Hmm?..." Obi-Wan murmured.

"You mean _you_ haven't been keeping them?" Padme asked, concern evident in her voice.

Anakin frowned, wiping a finger between a crease in Artoo's exterior. Obi-Wan was about to answer, but Artoo beeped and whirred, giving the answer before he could.

"Artoo says he was sent here on a secret mission." Anakin translated, his frown deepening. "He says he has a secret message he was supposed to deliver to you, Obi-Wan." Artoo clarified with some more beeps and toodles and Anakin's fingers suddenly froze, his entire body tensing. Slowly, he turned around to face Padme and Obi-Wan. "It's…he says it's from Leia."

For the space of several heartbeats, there was silence.

"I'm assuming Leia didn't come with them." Padme said gravely. It wasn't a question. They already knew the answer…and while Anakin didn't know his daughter yet, he had a feeling that Leia wouldn't have sent the droids across the desert sands alone unless she absolutely had _no_ choice. He tried to swallow back the panic that was threatening to bubble over, and he barely managed it.

After another tense silence, Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Well. Let's take this inside, and Artoo can show us the contents of the message. Shall we?"

Just as Anakin suspected, the inside of the hovel was _barely_ big enough for one person, let alone three people and two droids. "Sir, would you mind if I shut down for a bit?" Threepio asked hopefully. Anakin didn't have to have made the droid to know that he was as exhausted as a droid could be.

"Sure. Go ahead." Anakin said, trying to hide a tentative, shaky smile as he settled down on the floor next to one of the two chairs Obi-Wan owned. Obi-Wan took one, while Padme took the one next to her husband. Artoo wheeled in front of him, whistling sadly. Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan and Padme nervously, before taking a deep, steadying breath. "It's alright, Buddy," he said, "Show us the message."

Artoo beeped in confirmation, and suddenly a blue holographic image of a beautiful young woman appeared. Despite being small and distorted from the screen, the first thing that struck Anakin was just how _lovely_ she was. She looked _exactly_ like Padme. Long dark tresses wound up in matching buns on either side of her head…Her mother's same dark brown eyes. Her lips. Even the shape of her mother's face, and with the _exact_ same steely determined expression when she was trying to achieve something particularly difficult. Anakin would know that look anywhere, he'd seen it on his wife many, _many_ times before. And yet, Leia had his chin, and his nose, and the way she spoke, it was the voice of a general and a politician all rolled into one.

" _General Kenobi,_ " she began gravely. Anakin and Padme looked at one another, their eyes wide. _"Years ago, you served my father in the clone wars."_ Both Padme and Anakin's expressions hardened at that, but they listened nonetheless. _"Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I wasn't able to present my father's request to you in person: My ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid that my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed."_ Padme cried out a little, reaching to grasp her husband's hand, but quickly fell silent as Leia continued. Anakin gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. _"I've placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan…This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."_ She then glanced behind her, as if hearing something, or someone, and quickly leaned down, looking like she was holding something in her hand, and the message cut off.

There was absolute silence in the hut for a long moment. "Where is she?" Padme finally spoke, low and quiet…and dangerously. Anakin released his wife's hand and turned and looked at Artoo, expectant for answers, for he too was now terrified for not just Luke, but Leia as well. He'd been worried about her before, of course. War was…He knew _all_ too well just how very brutal and deadly war was. But to know that _his daughter_ had been attacked…His fists clenched at his sides. Artoo warbled a moan, answering him. "What did he say, Ani?" Padme demanded.

"He said that…Last he saw, her ship was captured by an Imperial Star Destroyer." The words were strangled coming out of Anakin's mouth, like his throat was constricting making speech difficult. Which it _was._ "How long ago did this happen, Artoo?" Another beeped mournful answer, and Anakin closed his eyes, taking deep breaths in to try and calm himself. "Two days." Another strangled noise from his wife, and he reached up to take her hand again in his own, trying to give her comfort when there was little to be had. Two days. She could be dead by now…or worse.

Far, far worse.

He faced Obi-Wan, a dark look passing over his face. "We need to go."

Obi-Wan nodded, grimly, standing back up to cross over to a chest, which he opened. "When we find your children, they're going to need this." He reached in, and pulled out a pack, opening it up and handing it to Anakin. Anakin took it, looking into it to see the contents. Lightsaber parts, as well as two Kyber crystals. Enough for two lightsabers. "Kyber crystals are… _extremely_ hard to come by these days." Obi-Wan said softly, mournfully. It had once been a right of passage for a Padawan to enter into the Jedi caves to find their first lightsaber crystal. "The Empire has either destroyed them, or taken them for themselves."

"Why?" Padme asked, her voice tight. That couldn't be good. She squeezed Anakin's hand tighter.

"I don't know for sure, Padme. Bail and Mon Mothma think they _might_ be using them for some kind of super weapon, but I haven't talked to Bail recently to find out if he knows anything else for sure. The last I heard, Imperial Star Destroyers were seen regularly over Jedha City...hovering just above the Temple there. Obviously, they were stripping it of the crystals." Obi-Wan said sadly with a shake of his head, as Anakin tightened the sack with a grimace.

Well, Palpatine was definitely up to _something_. And, it angered Anakin that the Sith Lord's plans _obviously_ included desecrating the Jedi Temple on Jedha. He remembered visiting that temple many times over the years as both a padawan and then a Knight. And, though he didn't want to waste any more time here on this stupid desert planet when _both_ of his children were apparently in imminent danger, he was glad they'd come by. They had lightsaber parts for Luke and Leia to eventually build their own lightsabers, plus their droids, with Artoo carrying the plans to destroy this super weapon…probably the same weapon that the kyber crystals were being collected for. Anakin shuddered, stood, and helped Padme to her feet.

"Alright," he said, "Let's…"

 _ **BOOM!**_

An explosion outside suddenly rocked the house and had Padme yelping and instinctively ducking and clinging to her husband's arm. Anakin and Obi-Wan immediately pulled out their lightsabers. When his lightsaber hummed to life, Anakin couldn't help but be amazed that all those years in carbonite hadn't damaged the weapon at all. It worked just as it always had. Good.

"Stay here, Angel," He told Padme, before rushing outside after Obi-Wan, stretching out with the Force…

He didn't need it. The distinctive barking sound of Tusken raider cries rang out in triumph, but at the sight of the two Jedi and their lightsabers, they wisely retreated quickly back into the rocky craggy hills surrounding Obi-Wan's home. Obi-Wan sighed, deactivating his lightsaber, as he turned to the source of the explosion. "Not again…" He muttered, shaking his head, his shoulders slumping a bit.

Hesitantly, Anakin deactivated his own blade as well, suppressing the rage and memories that came from being so near to the creatures that had killed his mother, so long ago. It may have been many years, but the Tuskens were nonetheless still causing problems on this planet. They probably always would. He turned to the ship, groaning as he saw smoke rising from what looked like the engine of the ship. "Of course," he spat, immediately going over to inspect it. Maybe he could fix it… "Just our luck." He lifted the burned out hatch, coughing as more hot smoke blew into his face.

"What happened?" Called Padme, ignoring Anakin's plea for her to stay inside. He sighed—Carbonite really _hadn't_ changed anything about her. He couldn't help rolling his eyes at his wife's stubbornness. It was just good the Tuskens had run off first. Turning his attention back to the ship and seeing the damage, Anakin cursed fluently in Huttese. He swore the Tuskens' shots were getting better and better as time went on… "They shot out the hyperdrive _and_ damaged the engine." He slammed the compartment shut in disgust.

Padme had joined him, trying not to look panicked, though he could feel that she was. Their children were in danger, and their ride just got shot to pieces. "I assume you can't fix it then."

"Oh, I could fix it alright... _with_ the proper tools and parts." He gave Obi-Wan a look. " _Do_ you happen to have spare parts lying around?"

"No." Obi-Wan frowned and replied gravely. "I used them up the _last_ time they messed with my ship. We'd have to go to Mos Eisley for the parts…"

"And, by the time we get there and get back, it'll be too late!" Padme interrupted, hands on her hips. "We'd be better off hiring a ship to get us to Alderaan."

"Alderaan?" Anakin echoed, frowning, looking at his wife. "But Leia…"

"We're _not_ going to help much by ourselves." Padme said, her voice holding no room for negotiations...aggressive or otherwise. "Whatever Artoo is holding…it's important. Vitally so. But, what's even _more_ important, is that we rescue Leia, being prepared for any eventuality, and I'm sure Bail will be able to give us the resources we need." She gave Obi-Wan a look for confirmation.

Obi-Wan nodded, looking at Anakin. "She's right." He said, though he didn't seem happy about it either. "Leia…Leia is strong. Exceptionally so. She's got her mother's conviction," he smiled softly at Padme, " _And_ her father's resourcefulness...Not to mention a whopping dose of stubbornness from _both_ of you." A smile at Anakin. He gulped, trying to will himself to believe Obi-Wan, but the idea of losing his daughter before he'd even met her…

But, he didn't have much choice. He might have argued had their own reliable ship been intact…but it was smoking and basically useless now. "Alright." He reluctantly agreed, "To Alderaan it is. Let's get going."

* * *

After joining the Imperial TIE force, there was one thing Luke Skywalker was absolutely certain of: He had made the single _worst_ mistake of his life.

It wasn't the flying, of course. No, he _loved_ flying, or the opportunities to see other worlds. He loved that, too, and he wouldn't trade _that_ experience for the entire galaxy.

But, flying in a rigid formation, even when that formation was inadequate for the situation they were flying through, was not _exactly_ the most thrilling of experiences. More like terrifying. If he'd been in a real battle, he was sure his orders would get him killed. And, not for the first time did he think the commanding officers were absolute _idiots_ when it came to battle strategy.

As for seeing other worlds, that would have been nicer had every world Luke had seen so far not been so...oppressed, the citizens all seeming glum and frightened. Luke had known a hard life on Tatooine, yes, but at least there the Hutts let you do whatever you wanted as long as you didn't get in _their_ way. On many of the world's Luke had seen, one wrong move by a local, no matter how innocuous and innocent, and people were likely to get thrown in prison or worse - executed...especially if they weren't human in species.

It made Luke sick at heart to witness such atrocities.

No wonder there was a pall of gloom almost palpable across the galaxy.

But even worse for him was the feeling, from the very moment that he'd fled Tatooine, that he'd made a _huge_ mistake. A mistake that, if he wasn't careful, could cost him his life. Problem was, he didn't know _exactly_ why he had that feeling. It wasn't like he could just run away: He'd be labeled a deserter, and he'd be a marked man for sure then. Because of that, he had no clue if what he was doing to stay under the radar was working.

He purposefully didn't strive to excel. No, he knew instinctively that he could outfly _everyone_ in his squadron - if not _all_ the Fleet's squadrons combined, but he forced himself to make _just_ enough mistakes to be labeled as an 'average pilot' on his test records. He didn't point out to his superiors that the formations they ordered were totally insufficient, not to mention sloppy in execution of any form of battle strategy. Honestly, they seemed to think that rather than use any real battle tactics, it was just easier to simply overwhelm their opponents with sheer numbers of TIE's...no matter _how_ many of their own fighters they lost in the process. It was stupid, plain and simple. So, in flight simulations, he made sure to _never_ be the last one left alive.

He hated to admit it, but his uncle had been right.

He'd graduated, recently. Middle of his class. Perfect. No one _disliked_ him, but no  
one really _liked_ him either. Perfect way to stay under the radar. That's what Luke thought at least, until he was given his orders: TIE pilot. 50th Squadron. Imperial Battle Station: The Death Star.

Well, Luke mused, that wasn't ominous at all, was it? Still, even as he asked around, no one seemed to really know _what_ the battle station did other than be...A huge floating battle station set to roam the galaxy. There were rumors, though-rumors that were a bit far fetched to be believed, Luke thought.

But, he didn't _dare_ question any deeper. If he did, he was sure he'd end up in the brig.

Or worse.

Still, he pondered the rumors sweeping through the squadron's ranks. Jedha, destroyed, with _half_ of the planet crumbling into space dust. No, Luke didn't believe _that._ True, the Empire destroyed cities -and lives - all the time. Luke clearly didn't agree with it, but what could possibly make such a big explosion that even an enormous chunk of a planet was destroyed? It didn't make any sense.

And yet, even as he arrived aboard the battle station, and joined his new squadron, there were whispers...Whispers of _another_ attack, with similar results...This time on a planet called Scarif. Luke found it even harder to believe. Scarif was a tropical planet that housed an Imperial base, a rather large and important one from his understanding. He'd never been there, and he didn't know exactly what they _did_ there, but he did know it was vitally important. So, he discounted those whispers. The Empire wouldn't blow up their own _base._ That idea was ludicrous to even consider.

So, even as other more seasoned pilots told what _they'd_ seen their "great battle station" do in hushed tones in their bunkers, Luke still didn't believe it. It was just more  
Imperial propaganda, designed to instill loyalty through fear. He was certain of it.

But, Luke had bigger problems at the moment. He had been stationed on the battle station less than a day, when he'd suddenly been summoned by none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. This was _not_ good. When Luke had received the order from his commanding officer, he'd practically stopped breathing, that foreboding feeling rising up so quickly in his gut that he had to fight the instinct to run right then and there. He'd been _so_ careful. He'd done _everything_ by the book, no less or no more remarkably than any of the other cadets. Now, here he was, being _specifically_ called into a Grand Admiral's office...and Thrawn's no less! _Everyone_ had heard the rumors of the legendary Grand Admiral who had such skill and confidence in battle, that there were even rumors that he would someday become heir to Emperor Palpatine's very Empire.

But what was stranger, and not common to see at all in the Imperial Army, was that Thrawn was not human. He was...something else. Luke wasn't quite sure what species or planet he hailed from, but if a non-human had achieved the rank Thrawn had, a feat no other being outside a human had done, it attested to his remarkable skills as a military leader.

Luke was pretty sure getting _his_ attention was exactly the kind of thing he was _supposed_ to avoid.

He had a bad feeling about this.

Nevertheless, he made himself presentable, and strode, head held high, with his cap slightly lowered over his eyes, towards the suite that was indicated on the order. Now here he stood, waiting in a lobby, with various pieces of art lining the walls. That seemed _strange_ to have on a battle station...even in the admiral's quarters. Still, he was intrigued, and while he waited, he nervously glanced at the pieces, trying to find a common taste between them. Some were very simple, what he would consider bland and uninteresting, while others were quite extravagant. But he was a simple farm boy from the barren back lands of Tatooine. He didn't know _anything_ about art, so maybe the most priceless objects in the room were, in fact, the boring looking ones.

The sound of a blast door opening reached Luke's ears, and he stiffened to attention as a blue-skinned man dressed in the white uniform of a Grand Admiral entered the room. He was mostly humanoid, compared to plenty of other alien species Luke had met, but he was still one of the most _unnerving_ creatures: Boring into him was a glowing red gaze that seemed to strip Luke down to his very core, laying his soul bare to be read to the man's desires. "Ensign Lars." Thrawn greeted coolly, but not unfriendly in the least. He used the name Luke had given the academy— _Why_ he'd felt possessed to give that name, he wasn't really sure. "How good of you to join me."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir." Luke said stiffly, calling on all the years of politeness his Aunt Beru had instilled in him, combined with what had been drilled into him at the academy.

Thrawn smiled slightly, as though amused by this answer. "Come. I wish to discuss something with you." He stepped aside, stretching a hand out towards his office in a clear _after you_ signal that Luke had no right or rank to refuse. He nodded once in what he _hoped_ was a grateful manner, and stepped into the office.

Sure enough, there was even more artwork in his office. Luke had heard of Imperials collecting fine pieces of art after they'd murdered their owners or just outright stolen them from the worlds they'd burned and pillaged, but many of these pieces of art looked just average. Not like some priceless treasure an Imperial would display in his private office as a sign of rank and dominance. "Are you interested in art, Ensign Lars?" Thrawn asked, a note of interest in his voice, as though he were genuinely curious to see if Luke was, in fact, interested. He tried to picture himself having a casual discussion about art with a Grand Admiral, and the thought almost made him laugh.

 _Almost._ He resisted, though, and kept a neutral expression instead.

"No, Sir," Luke replied, "I merely noticed that you just have quite the collection here. We don't see a lot of artwork in our barracks." He stopped in front of Thrawn's desk and stood at attention, and Thrawn moved around to sit in his overly plush chair. Behind him, the viewport showed the vast view of space. A few TIE fighters flew around, monitoring for any suspicious activity.

"Yes," Thrawn agreed thoughtfully, and Luke was again unnerved to find the man studying him. "Well, Ensign...I'm sure you're wondering _why_ I asked you to come and see me." It was a statement, not a question.

Luke hesitated. "Yes, Sir." He replied cautiously. _I haven't done anything wrong,_ he tried to remind himself over and over again…but that foreboding feeling just wouldn't go away. Again, Thrawn smiled that thin little smile, before reaching over and touching a button on his control panel. A hologram lit up the space between them, and Luke was startled to find his records shining brightly at him, complete with a picture of his younger self smiling in the upper right hand corner, with his name listed underneath.

"I find that a good leader studies those put on board his ship." Thrawn began, leaning back in his chair, steepling his fingers together, as he studied Luke's reaction closely. "While this is not my ship, I _am_ stationed here temporarily to assist Grand Moff Tarkin in preparation to make this battle station fully operational. Naturally, with the station's first wave of new cadets fresh from the Academy coming in today, I took the time to review all their files." His eyes slightly narrowed on Luke, and he suppressed a shudder. Those glowing eyes…He was sure they'd haunt his dreams tonight. _"Your_ file, in particular, interests me."

For a moment, he couldn't breathe. What the _kriff?_

There was a silence. Luke realized that Thrawn was waiting on his response, but his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He forced himself to swallow, thickly. "Sir, may I ask… _why?"_ Was it just him, or did his voice sound too strained?

If Thrawn noticed, he didn't indicate that he had. "Take a look at your scores, Ensign. What do you see?"

Luke stared at the scores he'd already seen, unsure of what, exactly, he was supposed to see. "They're…okay, I guess, Sir."

"Precisely." Thrawn replied, and another touch on his control panel had him pulling up his entrance scores to the academy. At the time, Luke had been trying to impress the recruiters enough to get accepted into the program, and he hadn't restrained himself in the least. "Now, take a look at _these_ scores."

Luke was silent for a moment. "They're nearly perfect marks, Sir." He replied quietly.

Thrawn's eyes narrowed, and Luke had a feeling that he was walking right into whatever trap it was Thrawn had set up for him…and cursing himself internally for making such a _huge_ ass blunder to begin with, dammit! His inexperienced naivety _clearly_ registered in the disparity between those two sets of marks. And, he hadn't even considered such an event. So stupid. "It's strange, wouldn't you agree, Ensign that...You went from having almost perfect scores, to having scores so average, you were placed in one of our most average squadrons. Why is that, Ensign Lars?"

Luke inwardly cursed himself again. He really _should_ have listened to his uncle. "I guess it was a lucky day, Sir." He tried to keep his voice and expression as neutral as possible. He had a feeling Thrawn didn't buy it in the least.

He was right. He didn't.

"I don't believe in luck, Ensign. In my considerable experience, there is no such thing," Thrawn replied easily. "I believe you were _misplaced._ I think there's something holding you back from your true potential, a potential the Empire very much needs." He paused, tilting his head slightly, and Luke had the distinct impression that he was prey to a lethal deadly predator. "Therefore, Ensign, effective immediately, I'm reassigning you to a squadron that will better suit your needs."

Luke stood stock still, hardly believing his ears. _How_ could this be happening? He'd been _so_ careful…and Thrawn had just looked at his scores and figured him out instantly. Luke worried that Thrawn would know the reason before Luke even did, or worse, he'd assume Luke was a potential candidate for desertion, but regardless of the reason, he had no choice. He couldn't argue with a Grand Admiral. "Thank you, Sir, for giving me another chance to prove myself." The words were ash in his mouth.

Thrawn's eyes narrowed even as he gave that small smile that made Luke squirm internally. "Good. You'll be with the 99th. It's my _personal_ squadron." The foreboding feeling sank even lower into the pit of his stomach as Thrawn stood, heading towards the door. Luke pivoted sharply on his heel and began following, wondering how in the _hell_ he'd managed to get himself right under the eye of one of the most feared leaders in the Empire...if not _the_ most feared, outside of Palpatine himself. "I don't usually fly, of course, but your commanding officer reports directly to me."

They exited out into the lobby once again, and then out into the bustling bright hallway. Thrawn stopped, turning to face Luke, and he turned to face the Grand Admiral. The look he gave Luke was so intense… "I look forward to seeing your _progress,_ Ensign Lars." There was an edge to his voice…and marked curiosity in those glowing red eyes…Luke gulped.

"Thank you, Sir." He said, saluting. Thrawn stared at him a moment more, before nodding once and turning and disappearing into his office. The moment the blast doors closed, Luke let out a long tortured sigh, as if he'd held his breath for the whole meeting. It felt like he had. This was _not_ good. He didn't know why, but it just…wasn't good. He began to walk down the hallway, wondering just _how_ he was going to get out of this one, when a squad of stormtroopers stormed past, dragging along a prisoner in the middle of them. Luke stopped, moving aside and giving them space. At first, focused on the problem at hand, he didn't notice anything in particular other than there were more troopers surrounding this prisoner than was standard. Then, something inside him seemed to whisper, _Look up._ He did so without thinking, just in time for his gaze to meet the prisoner's.

The first thing he noticed was that she was a mere girl, no older than he was, and she was shorter than him by a good head. The second thing he noticed was how _beautiful_ she was. She looked a bit frazzled at the moment, being man handled by a bunch of Stormtroopers, but nonetheless she looked like…well, a princess. The third thing, and perhaps the most important thing, was when his blue eyes met her brown ones, something seemed to…snap between them, as if there had been this invisible string tied to either one of them, limp up until this moment when their eyes met, and it went suddenly taught. He caught his breath, his eyes widening, and he couldn't help but stare as she was led down the hall. She frowned, as well, as if she could feel it, too, and as she was dragged away, she turned her head back, trying to keep eye contact with him…until they rounded the corner, and she was out of sight.

He felt a _jolt_ of...something. Nerves, perhaps? Awareness, maybe?...rush through his gut.

For a long moment, he just stood there, immobile, staring after her, as if the Stormtroopers would reappear with her in tow like they were merely giving her a tour, not leading her to the detention level. He'd never seen her before, and yet…he felt as if he knew her somehow, knew her in his very soul. _Who was she?_ He wondered, frowning. _Why_ was she being dragged off like that? Luke wondered if he could ask…and then his mind turned back to the meeting he'd just had with Thrawn. The man had made it clear that he would be watching Luke… _closely_...and if Luke expressed any personal interest in a clearly highly guarded prisoner…well, he doubted it would look good.

Reluctantly, Luke turned, and continued on his way, all the while thinking about the beautiful girl and the strange feeling that had passed between them. He hoped, rather foolishly, that he would see her again.

Alive.

* * *

 **Grand Admiral Thrawn! I adore that man. I'm also nervous to write him because he's such a perfect character. That much is obvious when you read his books. You see it a bit in Rebels, but...his books is where he really shines. I recently finished his new novel and was struck by how he truly believes in what he's doing, to the point where you read the book and you're like, yeah take those people down!...wait...those are the good guys...I shouldn't be rooting for them to be defeated by Thrawn... That's when you know you have a good villain, and I'm not sure if I can do him justice, but I will try. (yes, yes, do or do not, there is no try).**

 **So what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. The song for this chapter is "The Traveler" from the first Destiny game.**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	7. Luke's Decision

How he _hated_ being back here...and Force, he couldn't _wait_ to leave.

All things on this dustbowl of a planet bothered him. Especially the sand, but also…

The cantinas.

Like this one. Walking in the front entrance of _Chalmun's Cantina,_ he grimaced as their senses were assaulted with the noxious fumes of smoked spice, the pungent stench of Corellian brandy mixed with other lesser quality liquors, the unintelligible babble of multiple different species of sentients, and over in the corner, the rather loud music from a group of performing Biths.

Pausing for a moment as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Anakin scowled and led Padme over to the corner nook indicated by the Wookie in the crowded cantina, his grip tight on her hand, a grim, tight-lipped frown gracing _both_ of their expressions. Glancing at his wife, he noticed she wrinkled her nose in disgust as they passed by a Defel male who happened to burp... _loudly_ (which sounded like a weird howl _)..._ just as they walked by. Anakin just rolled his eyes at the gross behavior on display all around them in the cantina. _All_ he wanted was to get the hell off this rock and find their kids. Force knew he'd seen _more_ than enough tragedy in this barren wasteland during his lifetime.

Unfortunately, _this_ trip was no exception.

On the way into Mos Eisley, they'd dropped by the moisture farm where Luke had grown up, hoping against all odds that Owen and Beru Lars would have something to help them get off planet without drawing too much attention.

They were more than disappointed-they'd been _horrified_ to find the farm in flames, and the unrecognizably charred and still-smoking skeletons of the only remaining step-family Anakin had. "Oh dear," Threepio had said into the stunned silence, "I'm afraid this might be our fault, Sir." He smacked Artoo's dome with a _clank_. "I _told_ you we shouldn't have embarked on your foolish mission, Artoo!"

The Empire, Anakin realized, was desperate for whatever plans Artoo had on him. That made the droids dangerous...and his poor step-brother and his wife...the people who had been _so_ kind to his mother, who had raised Luke despite the dangers that came along with him being the son of Skywalker...They didn't deserve this wretched fate. So, even though _every_ paternal instinct Anakin didn't know he possessed _screamed_ at him to get off planet as fast as possible, he still made Obi-Wan pull over so that he could at least bury the people who, despite their mistakes, had done their best to raise his son.

Now, in Mos Eisley, Anakin was even _more_ wary than ever. The place was crawling with what Obi-Wan called Stormtroopers...had he and Obi-Wan not been Jedi, they would have been caught just entering into the city with Threepio and Artoo. Thankfully, the Stormtroopers weren't exactly the _smartest_ soldiers in the galaxy, and they'd been able to mind trick their way through. Still, leaving the droids outside of the cantina made him even more jumpy, and his every sense was extended into the Force, looking for any potential sign of trouble in and around the building.

They sat down at the booth occupied by a rather smug looking smuggler with thick dark brown hair, and dark eyes that conveyed more confidence than what the smuggler was actually feeling. Behind that self-satisfied grin and air of total control, the man was full of anxiety and on edge, as if he were wary of being found. "Han Solo," he introduced himself, "I'm captain of the Millenium Falcon." He said it as if Anakin should know it. Maybe he would have, had he not been frozen in carbonite all these years. Solo looked at Obi-Wan, then Padme, and then finally Anakin with his eyebrows raised, like he was expecting gasps of awe from them, before continuing on, "Chewie here tells me that you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system."

"Yes, indeed," Obi-Wan replied, and added earnestly, "If it's a fast ship."

Solo quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "Fast ship?" He echoed, "You've never heard of the Millenium Falcon?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Should I have?" _Oh good,_ Anakin thought, so Obi-Wan was just as clueless as he was. This told Anakin more about the smuggler than anything else-he was cocky, arrogant, and apparently had _way_ bigger opinions about his ship than others probably did. He had to admit, he could understand that, having had strong opinions about some of the ships _he'd_ flown in the past. Especially his old yellow Jedi fighter. He pushed the sudden feeling of loss aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Sadly, _this_ was their best shot at getting off planet.

"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs." Solo said dryly, and waited for their response. Obi-Wan and Padme gave him blank looks, but Anakin knew _exactly_ what he was talking about.

"12 parsecs?" Anakin couldn't help but be impressed...and incredulous. "I'm not sure if that's fast, or just plain reckless." The Kessel Run was dangerous, period. Every good pilot knew that. Only the most skilled, or perhaps suicidally desperate, pilots even risked that route. Anakin felt sure _he_ could do the run...given a ship that would be able to handle the pressure.

Han Solo looked at him again, as though reconsidering him. "Believe me, it's fast." he said, almost defensively. "I've outrun Imperial Starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you, I'm talking the _big_ Corellian ships." He waited, staring Anakin down for another moment to let that bit sink in, and when he felt that Anakin was sufficiently impressed, he turned back to Obi-Wan. "That fast enough for you, old man? What's the cargo?"

"Only passengers." Obi-Wan replied smoothly, not at all offended by Han's frustration with Obi-Wan's lack of familiarity with his ship. "Myself, my two friends here, two droids…" he paused, leaning forward, "And _no_ questions asked."

That caused a wide grin to spread across Solo's face, as if he were _excited_ about the prospect of a challenge. It was more than that-beneath the surface, Anakin could sense that Solo had just spotted an opportunity to make more money...and the thought excited him considerably. Whatever his trouble was, Anakin would have bet his lightsaber on it being related to owing someone a considerable sum of money. "What is it, some kind of local trouble?"

Obi-Wan had also sensed it. "Let's just say, we'd like to avoid any _Imperial_ entanglements."

Oh yes, Han was reeling them in now. Anakin could practically _see_ the man's mind whirling with how best to approach the high sum of money he was about to ask for. "Well, that's the real trick, isn't it?" Han said, leaning back. "And it's gonna cost you something extra." Anakin rolled his eyes-he _knew_ it. Smugglers were _all_ the same. Even the pregnant pause Solo did right before he added, "Ten thousand. All in advance."

Anakin's jaw dropped. Had _everything_ become more expensive, too?! Who the _hell_ took a ship to Alderaan for ten thousand credits?! Anakin looked to Padme, whose mouth had set into a firm scowl, then to Obi-Wan who glanced at Anakin as if he'd expected the stupidly high number.

"We could literally buy our own ship for that." Anakin pointed out, shooting a glare at Solo.

Underneath the table, Padme had placed a warning hand on his knee, reminding him of the urgency of their mission. Their children's lives were at stake...hell, given the amount of Stormtroopers looking for the droids, maybe even the whole _galaxy_ was at stake. Finding a decent ship on Tatooine was tough enough as it was...even more so for a fast one.

"Yeah, but who's going to fly it?" Han asked skeptically, an amused smirk on his face. " _You?"_

Anakin couldn't help it. "You're talking to the _best_ pilot in the galaxy." Padme gave his knee a warning squeeze. Translation: Drop it. Now.

Han laughed, though annoyance sparked in his eyes. " _You?_ You wouldn't last a day flying the Falc…"

Obi-Wan interrupted, obviously sensing that Solo and Anakin were about to get into a full blown argument over who was the better pilot. Again, they didn't have time for that. "We can pay you two thousand now, plus an additional fifteen thousand when we get to Alderaan."

Anakin's boast was forgotten. The smuggler _obviously_ had his priorities. Solo's eyes widened, and his attention went straight back to Obi-Wan. Both Anakin and Padme also turned slowly and looked at the older man in disbelief. A total of seventeen thousand for a trip to Alderaan? It was the bargain of a desperate fool, and Solo had obviously picked up on that. "Seventeen?" He confirmed, and Obi-Wan nodded slowly. Han waited a moment, pursing his lips, waiting for one of them to suddenly shout, "Psych!" but when they didn't, the right side of his mouth quirked into a pleased and cocky grin. "Okay, you guys got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay 94."

Obi-Wan nodded again, apparently satisfied that he'd made literally the _worst_ deal in the history of deals. "94," he confirmed.

Han Solo, satisfied to be benefiting from the worst deal in the history of deals, nodded behind them. "Speaking of avoiding local trouble..." They turned to find two sand-blown Stormtroopers discussing something with the bar keeper. Anakin had a feeling they were looking for the droids, and if the bar keep mentioned that they'd initially tried to come in with two droids matching their description...A fast exit was their best strategy. With a curt nod to Solo, the three of them stood and melted back into the crowd, heading for the back exit.

"So," Padme said the moment they'd exited the bar, "Is everything _that_ expensive now?"

"Some things." Obi-Wan replied sourly. "Particularly with smugglers. Call it _Imperial inflation._ " Catching sight of Threepio and Artoo hiding in the dark corner of an alley, they started their way over to them. "The Empire has cracked down on a _lot_ of goods that used to be easily obtainable, and even more so on things that _weren't_ so easily obtainable. Smugglers and pirates are even more rampant throughout the galaxy than twenty years ago, but especially now in the Outer Rim."

 _Sounds right up the alley of our old 'friend,' Hondo. Is he still around, Obi-Wan?,_ Anakin asked through the Force.

 _Oh, yes. He's had quite the economic boon the last two decades, thanks to the Empire_ , came Obi-Wan's reply.

 _Delightful. Too bad we couldn't use_ his _services to get outta here. Maybe he'd have cut us a better deal...y'know, for old times' sake,_ Anakin's own replay was mocking.

Obi-Wan just turned and looked at Anakin with a smirk.

"Good to know," Padme said dryly, as they picked up the droids and began to make their way towards Docking Bay 94. Obi-Wan slipped the hood of his Jedi robes over his head, and Anakin and Padme, who had borrowed a few of Obi-Wan's other robes, did the same. As they walked, Padme moved closer to Anakin, slipping her hand in his. "Ani, please be careful." She whispered. "You and I both know _you're_ the best pilot in the galaxy, but if Palp...I mean, Lord Sidious finds out that the Hero with No Fear is out here in the Outer Rim…"

Anakin sighed, squeezing her hand. "I know, Angel." He said, scowling. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." He was so used to people looking at _him_ and immediately recognizing him and the skills he possessed. It was strange to meet people who had _no idea_ who they were talking to. Solo would have been a young child when Anakin and Obi-Wan were at the height of their publicity, and even if he _did_ remember the Hero with No Fear, he probably would have expected an old man. Like Obi-Wan now was. He doubted Solo would have believed him anyway.

"If his ship is as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well." Obi-Wan said, as they turned the corner into Docking Bay 94.

Anakin scoffed. "Yeah, well, I look forward to seeing this so-called legendary ship. The Kessel Run in 12 parsecs? That's not a small achievement for even the ships _I've_ flown." Anakin quieted as they came upon the Wookie...er, Chewie, Solo had called him. Seeing that they were ready, Chewy inclined his head for them to follow, and they followed him into the docking bay.

Anakin wasn't sure _what_ he was expecting exactly, but it wasn't a decrepit YT-1300. All of them abruptly stopped, Threepio almost bumping into the back of Obi-Wan. They stared at the ship in silence, taking it in, as if imagining the many ways they would die the moment the junk hit the upper atmosphere. To his surprise, it was Padme who breathed, "What a piece of junk!" Anakin's mouth quirked into an amused smile. So much for being 'politically correct.'

Solo, who had been cleaning some valves underneath the ship stopped, immediately jumping to his ship's defense. "She'll make point five past lightspeed." He said, heading over to them, spreading his arms to indicate his precious ship. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. I've made..."

"A lot of special modifications." Anakin interrupted, as his experienced eye caught sight of those _modifications._ They blinked at him, and Solo looked like he wasn't used to someone jumping to his ship's defense with him. Anakin, though, was well versed in modifying clunkers to outperform even the sleekest of models. "The YT-1300 has room for modifications, but the ones you've got here…" he whistled, walking forward to take a closer look. "This _is_ impressive. Most impressive, Solo."

"Ah," Han said, frowning. "Thanks…." He cleared his throat. "Well, we're a little rushed, so if you'll just get on board, we can get out of here." Reluctantly, they headed up the ramp to the ship, Obi-Wan and Padme because they still weren't sure the ship was safe to fly, and Anakin because he wanted to get a more detailed look at the modifications. As they passed Solo, Threepio greeted Solo politely, and Artoo whistled his own greeting. Solo ignored them.

The inside of the ship wasn't much better than the outside, and as Padme lowered the hood of her cloak, her nose wrinkled in distaste. "Ani," she whispered, careful to make sure that Chewbacca didn't over hear them, "this ship is...safe, right?"

Anakin laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her forehead. "It's safe, my love. Don't worry."

"There they are! Blast 'em!" They jumped a little as blaster fire erupted from below the ship, followed by explosions. A second later, Solo was there, the hatch closing behind him as he ran towards the cockpit. "Chewie get us out of here," he yelled.

"Oh my," Threepio moaned, as they quickly jammed themselves into the only available seating, pulling seatbelts over their laps, "I've forgotten how much I _hate_ space travel." Despite the urgency of the situation, Anakin grinned. Oh, how could he have forgotten to program Threepio to enjoy space travel? He hoped Luke and Leia had inherited his love of space.

The ship took off into the air. Sure enough, it shuddered as it hit the upper atmosphere, and it caused Padme to throw Anakin a panicked look, her hand darting across his lap to grasp his flesh hand tightly. He smiled back reassuringly, giving her hand a quick squeeze...though he himself wondered if the smuggler had properly installed all the modifications. But soon enough, the ship leveled out, and Anakin had been a pilot long enough to know they'd cleared the upper atmosphere and were now hurdling away from the planet. He unbuckled his seat belt. "I'm going to have a look." He said, standing.

Obi-Wan smiled faintly, and Anakin noticed how pale he was. Threepio wasn't the _only_ one who detested space travel, he remembered. "Always the back seat driver." Obi-Wan commented, but Anakin noticed he too was unbuckling his seat belt.

"You know me." Anakin grumbled as he made his way into the cockpit. Han was just sitting back down in the pilot's chair, the viewport showing empty space...and two huge, massive cruisers coming their way. His heart dropped into his stomach. The cruisers were _very_ similar to the cruisers he'd commanded back in the Clone Wars...but these ones were _much_ bigger, sleeker, and colorless, which somehow made them seem much more imposing. "Kriff," He breathed, "Those things are huge…"

"Stay sharp, there's two more coming in. They're going to try to cut us off." Han said urgently to Chewie, ignoring Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"I thought you said this thing was fast." Padme's voice drifted in from behind Anakin. She must have followed too...but Anakin's eyes were glued to those fast advancing ships, evidence of just how much had changed while he'd been frozen. It seemed like yesterday when he was on board one of those...smaller ships. Now they'd doubled in size and power, obviously, and they were coming straight for them to capture them...or worse.

"Watch your mouth, or you'll find yourself floating home!" Han snapped, and that was enough to draw Anakin's attention back to the pilot, scowling in annoyance.

" _Don't_ talk to my wife that way." He said evenly, but with an edge to his voice that had Han actually glancing back at him in apology.

"Sorry." He muttered, as if the word was unfamiliar to him. It was good to know that he still had enough of a presence to keep wayward smugglers like Solo from insulting his wife. "We should be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace." He added in a much more calming tone, turning back to finish plugging in the calculations. "Right, I know a few maneuvers…"

Right on queue, blasts hit the shields of the ship, causing it to shudder hard enough that Anakin actually placed a hand on the back of Solo's chair to keep himself steady, and Padme gripped his shoulder in a vice grip. If Solo was concerned, he didn't show it. "This is where the fun begins." he grinned.

"How long before you can make the jump to hyperspace?" Obi-Wan asked urgently, clearly concerned, like Padme, that the ship was going to be blown to pieces before that could happen.

"In a few moments when I get the coordinates from the navicomputer." Han replied as another blast rocked the ship. More blasts, and a red light began to flicker and beep, causing both Padme and Obi-Wan to glance at each other in alarm. Anakin smirked, sure that Obi-Wan was re-thinking offering the seventeen thousand. "We're losing the deflector shield," Han snapped, reaching up to flip switches. "Go strap yourselves in, we're going to make the jump to lightspeed."

Seeing as there wasn't anything else they _could_ do up there except get in the way, they turned and filed back to their seats. Moments later, they felt the shudder of the ship as it shot into hyperspace.

* * *

Leia Organa. Princess Leia Organa.

That was her name. The prisoner. The one that had stared straight into Luke's soul in just that _one_ fleeting glance. He hadn't seen her since...but her presence was felt everywhere aboard the Death Star. It turned out that he didn't need to ask around about her. The whole _station_ seemed highly interested in their prisoner. Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. The heir to her planet's throne. Daughter of Bail Organa...a suspected high ranking leader in the Rebellion. Therefore, everyone of his squad mates whispered in their bunkers and at the mess hall, it stood to reason that the princess was a rebel, too.

Luke remained firmly quiet about the princess. He didn't join in on speculating what the she had done to be captured, or what her capture might mean for the war. He didn't participate in the attempts to coerce information out of the guards who had been patrolling her cell...he forced himself _not_ to react when he'd heard she'd been tortured, though the knowledge knocked the breath out of him. Why a beautiful young girl from some distant planet he'd never even thought about caused such a reaction in him, he'd never know. But, each day that passed, he could feel the scrutiny of Grand Admiral Thrawn narrow in on _him,_ and he didn't want to appear to be having _any_ rebel sympathies.

The rumors were definitely true. Thrawn was _hyper_ observant of the men serving under his direct command. Anytime Luke and his squad mates were in the simulators, anytime they were running drills around the station, Thrawn was there, silently watching everything. Luke wondered, bitterly, if the man ever had more important things to do other than watch a bunch of TIE pilots run drills. Every time he finished and stepped out of the cockpit, he always, without fail, found those glowing eyes pinned right on _him_. It was a struggle not to shudder.

Even when Thrawn wasn't around (which increasingly was rare), Luke _knew_ he was being watched. He'd caught his commanding officer casting glances at him in the common areas, had found that he was rarely ever alone, for a squad mate was almost _always_ with him. Even finding privacy in the fresher was difficult. Luke wasn't sure _how_ fudging his scores had earned him this much scrutiny. Surely, Thrawn didn't observe _all_ of his new cadets this closely? Or, maybe he did. Luke was afraid to ask anyone, for fear of that somehow looking suspicious in Thrawn's eyes. Though Luke had _no_ intentions of defecting to the Rebellion, something inside of him screamed at him to avoid Thrawn as much as possible. Hell, he scowled as he followed his squad towards one of the battle stations many conference rooms, he needed to get _off_ this blasted station as soon as possible.

They entered the conference room. This particular one had a huge viewport for a fourth wall, staring out into space. Standing here, in his pristine white uniform with his hands clasped behind his back, stood Thrawn, looking out at the view beyond the battle station. "Ah," He said as the blast doors closed behind them. Thrawn turned slightly to face them. "Welcome. I'm glad you made it."

 _Made what?_ Luke frowned. Not too long ago, the swirls of hyperspace had been visible outside of the view port of their quarters. Now, however, stars twinkled in the distance, and as the squad moved closer to Thrawn, he saw a beautiful green and blue planet. Distracted for a moment, Luke stared down at it, marveling at just _how much_ water must have been down there for it to be visible up where they stood. _What would it be like to live down there?_ He wondered, and as he did so, an image of mountains and meadows of flowers entered into his mind, as though he were seeing through someone else's eyes…

"There have been rumors floating around about the capabilities of this battle station." Thrawn was saying, his clear and calm melodic voice cutting through the images in Luke's brain, and he forced himself to tear his eyes away from the beautiful planet to look back at Thrawn. "As you know, this battle station was utilized at the battle of Scarif, not hours before we took our posts here. Once I have finished assisting Grand Moff Tarkin in making this station fully operational, we will board the Chimaera and move on to our next assignment." The Chimaera, Luke had learned, was Thrawn's flagship. "Before we do so, I wanted to put the rumors to rest. You deserve to know what the Empire's greatest battlestation can do, and _why_ it must be protected at all costs."

On those words, those glowing red eyes glanced to Luke, and Luke tried to maintain an expression of cool curiosity, even though his insides were turning into hot coals as that foreboding feeling he now seemed to have 24/7 tripled. "I invite you to turn your attention to the planet below, where soon the galaxy will know the full might of the Empire."

His squad mates seemed genuinely excited, and as Thrawn turned away, there were quiet whispers among them, speculating. Luke was silent, his eyes going back down to that beautiful planet below. He'd heard the rumors, of how this battlestation was a planet killer. It was certainly big enough to hold enough ships to deploy to destroy a planet's atmosphere. But, some rumored that it was the station _itself_ that wiped out major cities from off the face of a planet in one strike. But even _more_ insane rumors said the station could destroy an _entire planet._ Boom. Gone. Blown away. Just like that. But, all of that talk seemed _too_ extreme. Impossible. As Luke stared at the planet, wondering _what_ they were about to witness, he almost failed to notice Thrawn approaching his side. "Do you know what planet that is, Ensign Lars?"

Luke startled, and inwardly cursed himself as he saw Thrawn's eyes narrow just slightly. "No, sir, I don't." He replied evenly, in what he _hoped_ was a normal tone. He thought he sounded more apprehensive than anything else.

Thrawn smiled slightly, and turned back to the planet, standing tall and imposing against the backdrop of the planet and the stars. "That is Alderaan. The same planet our prisoner is from."

The girl flashed back into Luke's head, and that feeling of danger was now almost suffocating him. A headache began to pound in his skull. "Oh?" He said, his voice rasping. Alderaan was a Core planet...Surely the Empire wouldn't _seriously_ cripple such an important planet to the galaxy? He didn't know much about the world itself, but he knew there was a difference between how Core and Outer Rim worlds were treated.

But, Thrawn's next words erased doubt from Luke's mind. "Indeed." Thrawn replied smoothly. "It's a shame that such an influential planet must suffer for the rebellious actions of their leaders."

Luke's mouth went dry. He opened his mouth once, and no words came out. What did _that_ mean? The rumors swirled in his brain, and the pounding in his head became harder, and his vision was starting to swim. After a few tries, he began, "What-?"

His words were cut off by a flash of green light emitting from the Death Star, that brightened to the point that it almost blinded him. Then suddenly, the light condensed into one beam, and Luke was barely able to stifle a yell as it raced towards the planet, and hit it. And, unbelievably, the planet the princess was from suddenly blew up in an explosion of fire, before disintegrating into a shower of just rocks flying through space.

Luke barely saw any of that though. For as the planet exploded, he was suddenly hit with a sense of terror, like _nothing_ he'd ever felt before, or could _ever_ feel, as if millions...maybe _billions_ of people had...had cried out in terror….and suddenly they were gone. Extinguished. In an instant, gone, snuffed out. Luke's vision blackened, and the feeling of nothingness overwhelmed him. He couldn't breathe, and he reached out unknowingly, trying to find those people again, because anything, _anything_ was better than the crushing void that had been left behind.

In that darkness of nothing and despair, Luke thought he felt someone else...someone in great pain and turmoil, her feelings echoing his own….

"...Ensign Lars?" A voice was calling from far beyond, "Ensign Lars? Are you alright?"

It was a struggle, but Luke opened his eyes. He was breathing hard. He'd knocked into the conference room table, and had somehow managed to land in a chair. His whole body was covered in sweat, and he was breathing hard like he'd just run across the desert in the middle of the hottest time of the day on Tatooine. He found his squad mates staring down at him in concern...and behind them, the impassive expression of Thrawn. If he was concerned or suspicious….hell, Luke didn't even _care_ anymore. "I'm...I'm okay." He breathed, forcing his racing heart to calm, forcing himself to ignore the feeling of immense loss still on the edges of his consciousness. He straightened, and stood slowly, ignoring the shaking in his legs. "I...I need to go to the fresher."

He turned and left without another word, feeling everyone's eyes on his back as he exited. He didn't bother to pretend to be okay with what he just witnessed. _Nothing_ was okay about what he just saw. The Empire had gone _too_ far. Actually, too far was a _massive_ understatement. He breathed hard, moving quickly through the curving halls of the cursed station he was serving aboard. He felt grimy and disgusting, like no amount of showers would _ever_ erase the taint of what he'd served.

His uncle was right. He _didn't_ belong here. There was no more ignoring the feelings that had been building up in his chest. He needed to escape... _now._

And, he wasn't going alone.

* * *

 **The next chapter is here! More similarities to ep. 4. Like I said, some will be. Most will not be, once I've properly deviated it off of the original course.**

 **Just fyi, if you don't know already, my update schedule usually follows this order: Lost and Found, The Assassins Blade, and then Second Chances. So, if I update Second Chances, you know that I'm going to be updating Lost and Found soon. Just a hint! :D**

 **The song for this chapter is The Imperial Suite from Rogue One.**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	8. The Escape

One more turn at the next hallway, and he'd be there.

This was _it._ No going back now.

 _Stay cool, stay cool, stay cool,_ Luke thought over and over again, as he entered cell block AA-23, staring at the uniformed officers who stopped what they were doing to watch him approach. Many of the guards, upon seeing the masked figure of an ordinary TIE pilot, went back to what they were doing, pretty much ignoring him. Luke wasn't sure what possessed him to wear the TIE pilot gear over his normal officer's uniform…but as he'd been scrambling for a plan to get the princess out of there, he'd felt that it was needed for some strange reason. Whatever. He didn't question it. He just did it, and it was sweltering hot under all of the layers, though. He could feel sweat trickling down the back of his neck and down his spine. The control officer stood to attention, looking down his nose at Luke, as if he was his superior or something. "What is your business here, pilot?"

Luke swallowed, his hand tightening on the object behind his back, hearing its soft beep. "Ensign Lars, reporting for duty, Sir!" He said it with more confidence than he felt.

The control officer blinked at him, and the disdainful expression made it obvious that he thought Luke too stupid to waste his time on. "Does this _look_ like a ship bay to you?!" He demanded, sarcasm dripping with his every word.

"Oh," Luke stammered. Just a few seconds more…if he didn't time this _just_ right… "Do you think, ah, Sir, that you could give me directions?"

The control officer rolled his eyes. "You're new here. Clearly. Go back down the lift and…"

Something inside of Luke, the same _thing_ that told him he needed to keep his last name secret, the same _thing_ that told him to stay unnoticed, the same _thing_ that told him to escape now and run with the princess…it seemed to slam into him all at once with the need to throw the beeping object. So, Luke abruptly threw the grenade, with all his might, into the midst of the guards, and then jumped back, pulling the blaster from his belt as the grenade exploded, killing the guards. Luke immediately began firing, killing the last few guards who had been in the hallway, before shooting out the remaining cameras in the room. His ears rang as silence fell upon the cell block, and he was left alone with the dead men…that he'd just killed. His heart sank into his stomach—he'd just killed. Not just one person, but multiple people. He'd never done that before…Sure, they talked about it in training, tried to prepare them. But, _killing_ people…his own comrades…

 _Well,_ he thought as he hurried to the control panel and checked to make sure the grenade hadn't triggered the alarm system on the panel, _guess there's no turning back now._ Pleased that the alarm hadn't been set off, he quickly pulled up the list of prisoners…only to find that the princess was the only one in the entire block. # 2187. High security, indeed. He turned and raced down the hallway, checking cell numbers as he went.

2187….2187….21…there! He reached down and pressed the switch, and the door hissed open to reveal the princess. He rushed in…and paused, just staring at her again, he was hit with the overwhelming sense that he knew her…somehow. Not from the whispers of his squad mates. Not from the brief glance they'd shared in the hallway. He knew her personally, in a way he couldn't describe. He just knew it. She was lying down, her hair still somehow pristine despite everything she must have gone through, but when he entered her cell, she raised her head up, staring back at him, as if waiting for what he was about to do. Finally, she moved her arm to her hip, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?"

"Huh?" Luke asked, puzzled for a moment, before he remembered. "Oh, the uniform." He quickly reached up and pulled the black helmet off of his head, setting it aside for the time being. He stepped forward, staring her right in those familiar dark brown eyes. "I'm Luke…" he paused. Still in the Death Star. If this went wrong…no one could know. "Lars. I'm here to rescue you."

The princess looked even more puzzled, as recognition lit her face. She slowly sat up, as if she were expecting this to be a trick. "You're who?" she asked, then, "Wait...You're…the soldier. From the hallway."

So, she remembered him. Good. "I'm here to rescue you!" He said earnestly, trying to get her to understand how little time they had to get out of there and somehow deactivate the tractor beam and then steal a ship…. _Shit,_ he was in so much kriffing trouble. _How_ could he be so reckless? "Look, we don't have much time!"

The princess gave him a skeptical look. "Turning against the Empire, are you? Do you even have a _plan_ for getting us off this ship?" Luke tried to keep the uncertainty off of his face, but she noticed anyway. "Some rescue this will be."

"Look, I'll say I'm transferring you to another cell and…" but even as he said it, he knew it was a stupid idea. _Come on Skywalker,_ he thought, glancing at his helmet, _think!_ But, as he looked at the helmet, an idea suddenly struck him. It was still mad, a suicide mission, but somehow, as he began stripping off the black armor, he knew it would work.

"Um, _excuse me_ , but what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" The princess demanded, obviously alarmed that some strange stormtrooper had just burst into her cell and begun stripping.

"Calm down, I have my uniform under this." He said, and threw the helmet towards her, which she caught, staring at him like she'd never met anyone quite like him in her life. She probably hadn't. "Look, if you want to live, here's the plan…"

* * *

 _What the hell was that?,_ she thought in alarm.

They'd both gone down like a slaughtered rancor! For no apparent reason. Rushing forward, she hovered over her unconscious husband, now lying on the floor, glancing at the older Jedi with grave concern.

"Ani? Obi-Wan? Ani!" Padme's voice cried through the haze of pain and shock coursing through his head. Anakin opened his eyes slowly to find Padme hovering over him, pale, looking between both him and Obi-Wan, who had collapsed in a seat, a hand over his chest, looking as dazed as Anakin felt. "What's wrong?" Padme asked when she saw that Anakin was coming back to his senses. One second, he'd been talking quietly with Padme and Obi-Wan, the next...this.

Still, though he was now back with reality, he couldn't shake the horrible yawning emptiness left by the Force. It was smothering, and he could hardly breathe as he said, "Something...something terrible has happened."

Padme paled further, and her hands went to either side of his face, as if checking to make sure nothing had happened to _him._ "I felt a great disturbance in the Force," Obi-Wan agreed, his voice dark and troubled, "As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I too, fear something terrible has happened."

"What is it?" Padme asked wide-eyed, looking between Anakin and Obi-Wan, "What could have happened that would cause you _both_ to react like that?" Her voice was full of fear: Never before had she seen Anakin or Obi-Wan act like _this._ She'd seen Obi-Wan's reaction to the Jedi purge (or she vaguely remembered it), but this...was different, somehow. It did not bode well.

Obi-Wan shook his head, putting his head in his hands. "I don't know, but I'm afraid we're about to find out." Padme gave another worried look at Anakin, and though he wanted to reach out and tell her things would be okay, he couldn't do so with confidence. Whatever had happened...there was no words to describe the enormity of the consequences that were to come. That he was sure of.

Suddenly Han rounded the corner from the cockpit. "Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told ya I'd out run 'em." He sat down beside Obi-Wan, a confident grin on his face, totally oblivious to what had just occurred in the main cabin. He waited, obviously expecting them to be jumping for joy, but when the three of them continued to be somber, he muttered, "Don't everybody thank me at once." He glanced to where Chewie and Artoo were playing a match of Dejarik, Threepio looking on. "Anyway, we should be at Alderaan at oh-two hundred hours."

Ever the senator, with her notions of paying proper respect to those who deserved it, Padme gave Solo a senatorial, diplomatic smile. "Thank you, Mr. Solo…"

"Mr. Solo?" Han snorted. "Honey, Mr. Solo was my father. Han is fine. Or, Solo, if you prefer."

Padme inclined her head apologetically. "Right then, Han, thank you for helping us out. We really appreciate it."

"And, _don't_ call _my_ wife, 'Honey,' Solo. Her name is Padme," Anakin snapped from his place on the floor, turning his head to shoot Han a pointed look.

Han raised his hands in an apologetic gesture, "Sure thing, Pal. Sorry, won't happen again."

Suddenly, Chewie roared in displeasure, drawing their attention to the game at the table. "He made a fair move," Threepio chidded, "Screaming about it can't help you." Chewie continued to moan complaints.

Before Han could jump in, Anakin responded, almost absent-mindedly. He didn't feel like repairing a droid at the moment, and even if he did, there wouldn't be time for it. "Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookie, Threepio."

Threepio turned to Anakin. Had Threepio remembered his past, he probably wouldn't have argued, "But Sir, nobody ever worries about upsetting a _droid._ "

This time Han was quick to point out with a sly grin on his face, "That's because droids don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose." Threepio jumped a little at that, obviously nervous now, turning to look at the Wookie who had his powerful furry arms behind his head, pleased with Threepio's reaction.

"Wookies are known to do that." Anakin agreed, and he couldn't help but smile a little. Same old Threepio...he never failed to bring a smile to his face.

"I see your point, Sir," Threepio said, and leaned forward to Artoo, "I suggest a new strategy, Artoo: Let the Wookie win." Chewie roared in agreement.

That got Padme to laugh, which made Anakin's tension ease just a bit more. "Oh, but Artoo is quite the resourceful droid. I'm sure he'll be just fine."

"Yeah," Anakin agreed, "I can't tell you how often that little droid has gotten me out of some tough situations." Artoo beeped happily, his dome spinning left and right in agreement, and continued his game.

Han was looking between the droids and Anakin. "You're familiar with Wookies?" He finally asked, curiously.

"Yes." Anakin nodded. "Though not personally. I...knew some friends who went to help their cause on Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars."

Oops. Wrong thing to say. Both Han and Chewie stopped what they were doing to stare at him, and both Padme and Obi-Wan sighed. " _Friends?"_ Han echoed, "You're a little young to remember the Clone Wars, aren't you?"

"Yes, but he can have friends who served in battle then. It's not a crime." Obi-Wan cut in smoothly. "I myself remember those days quite well."

Han didn't _quite_ seem satisfied with that answer, and Chewie rumbled something to Han. "Nah. Couldn't be Chewie. They're long dead." Suddenly, (thankfully, depending on how one looked at it), the ship's computer began to beep. "Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan." Han sighed, getting up and going back to the cockpit, with Chewie following closely behind.

"That was close, Ani," Padme whispered, as soon as they were gone.

"It's almost like you've never kept a secret in your life." Obi-Wan agreed, amused. "But, I know _that_ isn't the case."

Anakin scowled. "Keeping a marriage secret is one thing. Keeping my _identity_ secret...that's another issue altogether."

"Yes, well, you'd best get practicing on _that."_ Obi-Wan smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. Anakin opened his mouth to reply...but suddenly, as the ship jumped out of hyperspace, it began to rock violently. Padme yelped, and Anakin caught her to his chest as she lost her balance. His eyes met Obi-Wan's, communicating the same thing: Alderaan did not have an asteroid field around it. Could they have jumped into a battle? Had the Empire known where they were going? "I think we'd better check on what's going on." Obi-Wan commented dryly.

"Yeah," Padme agreed shakily, and Anakin held her hand as they rushed to the cockpit.

Sure enough, asteroids were pelting the ship. "What's going on?" she demanded, staring in awe at the meteor shower surrounding them.

"Our position is correct, but…" Han looked around, as if the planet would appear out of thin air. "No Alderaan."

The bad feeling in the Force instantly grew stronger, and Anakin and Obi-Wan glanced at one another in alarm. It couldn't be...how could…? Padme voiced the thought, sounding confused as they all felt: "What do you mean? _Where_ is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. It ain't there." Han was checking the readouts desperately. "It's totally been blown away."

"What?!" Padme exclaimed, looking to Anakin and Obi-Wan in dismay, "How?!"

Again, Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look. "Destroyed," Obi-Wan finally said gravely, "By the Empire." Anakin met Padme's eyes, and he saw the understanding light up in them, and she gulped. The feeling both he and Obi-Wan had felt...millions, maybe _billions_ of deaths in the Force, all at once. All innocent. Including Leia's adopted parents, Bail and Breha Organa.

Han turned to Obi-Wan, protesting even though he knew the truth of it. Anakin saw it in his eyes. "The entire starfleet couldn't destroy a whole planet." He argued, turning around to look at the readouts again, "It would take a thousand ships with more firepower than I've…" More beeps from the computer, and Anakin's frown turned into a scowl. Ship. Incoming. "There's another ship coming in." Han said, saying what Anakin already knew.

"How much do you want to bet they aren't friendly?" Padme said dryly, her brown eyes full of worry. Anakin squeezed her hand tightly, wishing he had his starfighter. He _hated_ being at the mercy of another pilot, in a ship he wasn't familiar with.

"It's an Imperial fighter." Obi-Wan confirmed, and Anakin reached out with his senses, confirming that it was indeed...a ship owned by a hostile presence. He wasn't familiar with this particular ship model. But, as it came into view and he was able to get his first good look at the strangely bow-tie shaped ship, he was able to identify exactly what kind of ship it was.

"It's a short range fighter." He said urgently, "Which means it's home vessel must be around here somewhere."

"But, if there aren't any bases around here, where did it come from?!" Han demanded, and Anakin found himself agreeing with the pilot. Maybe they were in good hands after all.

They followed after the ship. "It sure is leaving in a big hurry," Padme huffed, giving Anakin a look before looking to Han. "If they identify us, I assume you're well aware of the trouble we'll be in."

"You know it, sister." Han muttered, "But, not if _I_ can help it. Chewie, jam their transmissions."

"It would be as well to let it go, it's too far out of range." Obi-Wan said, and Anakin sighed. Ever the one to ask questions first, shoot later.

Han opened his mouth to retort, but Anakin beat him to it. "No. We can't risk getting followed by any more trouble. He's right."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and gave him an exasperated look. "Ever the one for aggressive negotiations." They continued to chase it, and as the seconds trickled by and there wasn't any sign of a larger ship, Obi-Wan glanced around and said, "A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on it's own."

"So, where did it come from?" Anakin muttered in agreement, stretching out with the Force.

"Doesn't matter," Han said, about to lock onto the fighter, "He ain't gonna be around long enough to tell anybody about _us._ "

Suddenly, the ship swerved, and Han maneuvered the ship closely after it. "Look, it's heading for that small moon!" Padme said, pointing out the circular object they were fast coming up upon. "But...Alderaan doesn't have a moon."

Han ignored her. "I think I can get him before he gets there; he's almost in range."

But suddenly, both Anakin and Obi-Wan straightened, their eyes going wide, as they _both_ felt an impending sense of danger, coupled with the life force of thousands...no, at least over a _million_ people. "That's no moon," Obi-Wan breathed, eyes wide, "It's a space station."

"Space station?" Padme had gone pale at those words. "Oh Force... _What_ has the galaxy come to…?"

Han shook his head. "It's too big to be a space station." He continued flying the ship towards the object.

Anakin was sure Obi-Wan was right. Nothing else would explain this feeling he was getting. And, Padme was right-what the kriffing hells had the galaxy turned into in the last nineteen years?! And, _this_ was the galaxy his children had grown up in, without them... _What_ had they left their twins to? "I have a very bad feeling about this," he said, looking to Han. "Turn the ship around." He didn't know _why_ his voice sounded as calm as it did. He felt anything _but_ calm. His twins were in danger, and now so were they...and his wife was there, too. She would share whatever fate they did...and he somehow didn't think this battle station would take kindly to two Jedi, two smugglers, and a supposed-dead senator.

Han was now staring at the station as if he too couldn't believe his eyes. Good to know battle stations this big weren't normal. "Yeah," He muttered, "I think you're right." He began trying to turn the ship around, his hands flying over the controls. "Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power." Chewie roared in agreement...but it was too late. The ship began to rock as Han tried to turn it around, resisting the tractor beam that had already locked onto them.. _.Kriff!_ They were still so far from the battle station… "Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power!" Han ordered again, sounding like he was trying to keep from panicking. Chewie groaned as he continued to try to lock it in.

"Ani," Padme said, and he could hear the actual fear in her voice. "There's got to be something…"

Anakin shook his head, but it wasn't noticeable since the whole ship was rocking. "With a tractor beam that powerful, there's nothing we can do, Angel."

Suddenly Han reached up, shutting off power. "They're not going to get me without a fight!" He declared, glaring at the offending battle station as if his look enough was going to blow it up. But even Anakin wasn't _that_ crazy.

"You can't win," Obi-Wan spoke Anakin's thoughts to the smuggler, leaning forward. "But there _are_ alternatives to fighting."

"Isn't there...I don't know, disguises? _Something_ we could use to hide?" Padme asked. She was leaning into him now, and Anakin instinctively put his arm around her, pulling her close, though he was still staring at the station as it got closer and closer, completely obstructing the view of the viewport.

"Yeah," Han said hesitantly, obviously not liking the idea of not standing his ground and fighting for his ship. Anakin could understand that...but even _he_ knew a lost cause when he saw it. "Get the droids and follow me."

That was how, as they were brought into the station's hangar, Anakin found himself in a small enclosed space underneath the Falcon's floor plates, crammed so tightly, that even though Padme was securely safe in his arms and her breath tickled his cheek...he was quite uncomfortable, his legs bent at the knees. And, in the dim darkness, he could see the pained expression on his wife's face as well. She wasn't comfortable crammed in here either. But, as the ship landed and they listened to muffled military announcements over a loudspeaker, no one said anything. Anakin wondered how Obi-Wan was doing, crammed in with Han and Chewie in the space next to them, and the droids were in the space next to that one. In one hand, he had his lightsaber, clutched tightly as they listened to the blast door open, and footsteps overhead marching through the Falcon. Padme's breath hitched, and they both breathed so softly, not wanting to accidentally make any noise that would alert them to their presence.

It seemed like it took hours. Hell, it sure _felt_ like it did. By the time they heard the footsteps leave the ship, and he sensed that the troops outside were starting to thin out, obviously not as interested now that there weren't any readily available prisoners to apprehend, Anakin's joints felt like they'd solidified. When he reached up and moved the plate away, finally letting in fresh air again, he felt stiff and sore. "It's lucky you had these compartments," Padme whispered, as Han also moved his plate, poking his head out, his blaster in hand.

"I use them for smuggling." Han said absent mindedly, looking around as if he were expecting troops to jump out and yell ' _surprise!'_ "I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them." As Obi-Wan poked his head out from the same hole, Han added hotly, "This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."

"He's right." Anakin agreed, helping Padme out of the compartment before he climbed out after her. Han's eyes strayed to the lightsaber in his hand, and Chewie mumbled something.

"Leave that to me." Obi-Wan said, and Anakin glanced sharply at him. It wasn't like they were young again...wait. No. _He_ was young. Obi-Wan wasn't. He couldn't be taking on stupid, dangerous missions anymore.

"I'll do it." He said.

"No!" Obi-Wan and Padme said at once, and Obi-Wan added in exasperation, "I just spent nineteen years looking for you. I'm not about to let you throw _all_ of that away for an old man. You're too important, Anakin." Anakin scowled, about to protest, but Padme put a hand on his arm...and he remembered that, yet again, this wasn't just about him. This was about making sure Padme was safe...and staying alive long enough to get to their children. But letting Obi-Wan go…

"You'd better come back." Anakin warned, giving Obi-Wan a mock glare. "Or, I'll have to haunt you for eternity."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Pretty sure that's _not_ how it works."

Chewie nudged Han, who made a face. "There's plenty of people with that name." Anakin winced, realizing that Obi-Wan had just revealed who he was to the smuggler. Obi-Wan, however, wasn't as careless as he was-if he said his name in front of the smuggler, it was for a reason. Though _what_ that reason was, Anakin didn't even pretend to know. "You're a damned fool though." Han said, looking at Obi-Wan as he jumped out. "I _knew_ you were going to say that."

Obi-Wan smirked, though it didn't touch his eyes. "Who's the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?" He said as he too climbed out.

Again, Chewie moaned to Han. "Now isn't the time to talk about who is who." Han muttered.

* * *

I can do this. No problem. Piece of cake.

He hoped.

Luke strode towards where he knew the tractor beam switch would be, striding with more confidence than he actually felt. _Act like you've done nothing wrong,_ he reasoned over and over in his mind, _and no one will assume you're guilty._ At least, that's what he _hoped_ would happen. He'd never done anything so reckless and...well, _stupid_ in his life. And yet, he felt good about it. Better than he had since he'd entered the Imperial Academy. Which, he thought, was crazy. How could he feel so good after he'd taken lives? After he'd betrayed what he'd sworn to serve? After he escaped, he'd be a wanted criminal, hunted across the galaxy no doubt. He'd have to go into hiding. He'd try to contact his aunt and uncle, of course, let them know he was alright-and that he was so, so sorry. They deserved that much, even if it _would_ be risky to contact them again.

But, he'd worry about that later, he decided. Right now, he had to disable the tractor beam, and then make his way back to…

He paused, noticing that the same group of Stormtroopers were following him. At least...that's what it looked like. They could have been merely patrolling the halls, and he was just being paranoid. Yes. He must be paranoid. If they had discovered that the princess was gone, they'd have put the entire station on alert, and he hadn't heard anything over the loudspeaker, or on his comm. Though, he had switched comm channels…

Was it just him, or were there more Stormtroopers in this hallway than usual?

 _Calm down, Luke,_ he thought, trying to soothe away the increasingly bad feeling that was threatening to overwhelm him and make him panic. He couldn't afford that. The princess couldn't afford that…

But yes. _Yes,_ there was _definitely_ more Stormtroopers than usual...and they seemed to be narrowing in, boxing him, trapping him in. _They know,_ he realized, that bad feeling becoming one of absolute doom. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath.

He wasn't going to make it. But...the princess still could.

He took a deep breath, knowing he had seconds, for as soon as he did this, the Stormtroopers would pounce. He swallowed the bile rising up in his throat...and quickly pulled the comm out. "I'm compromised. _Run, get off the station, don't look back."_

As he predicted, the moment he pulled out the comm, the Stormtroopers made their move. "Halt!" They shouted, and all of a sudden, he had multiple blasters on him. But, he wasn't done. He had to ensure her safety. He feigned surprise, forcing himself to trip, the comm " _accidentally"_ falling out of his hand, and he pretended to scramble for it...and stepped on it instead, crunching it into pieces. "HALT!"

Luke forced an expression of confusion, and terror, on his face, as he raised his hands innocently. "What's the meaning of this?" He demanded, his voice shaking. He wasn't sure if that would help him...or ruin his chances of talking himself out of this.

"On your knees!" the Stormtroopers ordered, closing in around him. Luke swallowed thickly, wondering if there was possibly _any_ kriffing way out of this by force...but he was completely surrounded. Hell, he didn't even have his blaster on him. So, slowly, he got down on his knees, and the moment he did, they closed in on him, shoving his hands behind his back roughly, before securing him with cuffs that cut into his skin.

"Ouch!" he complained, "Watch it! What's the meaning of this?! I haven't done anything!"

"Shut up!" One of the troopers said before putting his blaster to his head. Luke wasn't stupid. He shut his mouth, swallowing nervously. This wasn't looking good...but they weren't hauling him off to a detention cell yet. Why? If they knew what he'd done...wouldn't he be immediately dragged there? Or worse...killed? But, they just waited, blasters trained on him, as if...waiting. He got his answer not five minutes later, as the Stormtroopers suddenly parted...and Grand Admiral Thrawn approached, standing tall as ever, looking down his blue nose at him, his glowing red eyes filled with...not anger, or outrage. But instead, mild curiosity...and _triumph_?

"Ensign Lars," Thrawn greeted, as if he'd walked into his office to discuss flight patterns over a cup of tea. "You disappoint me. You are _much_ too predictable."

Kriff. Kriff, kriffing, kriff! There was _no_ talking his way out of this. He was kriffing screwed. Though he knew this,somehow his composure didn't crack. Well. At least he didn't start admitting to what he'd done, what he planned to do. "Grand Admiral," he said, and his voice sounded legitimately surprised-because he was. "What...I don't...what's going on, Sir?" It was a struggle to remain respectful of the man. He had literally watched as a planet full of innocent people was destroyed...just because the prisoner the Empire happened to be interrogating was a rebel, and the planet's princess. Luke was again filled with sickening disgust. No, he'd done the right thing...even if he was now going to face the music. But how did Thrawn…?

Thrawn's lips twitched into a knowing smile. "It would seem that our prisoner, the Princess of Alderaan, has mysteriously disappeared. Do _you_ know where she might have gone, Ensign Lars?"

 _He knows. He's toying with me,_ he thought in dismay. "N-no, of course not." Luke stammered, "I was returning from the fresher…"

"Please, there were multiple freshers you could have used closer to your barracks." Thrawn cut him off, giving him a disappointed look, as if he were at least hoping for a better explanation. "You're much further outside of your jurisdiction than you should be. On your way to the tractor beam, if your trajectory is any indication."

"No, Sir." Luke said, and he legitimately sounded confused. "I wouldn't assist rebel scum. I'm loyal to the Empire."

"A charming sentiment, but a false one." Thrawn said, raising his hand. For one moment, Luke thought the man was going to slap him, but instead he beckoned an officer trailing him forward, who handed him a data pad. "You see, Ensign Lars, it wasn't _just_ your abnormal test scores during your training that made you stand out. It was your feigned lack of interest in the prisoner."

Luke frowned, legitimately confused now. "Um. Sir?" He asked, hesitantly.

"You see, while your squad mates and other troopers not directly involved in her case were consistently expressing a healthy dose of curiosity in our celebrity prisoner, _you_ were almost obsessively not interested. According to your superior, you expressly seemed to avoid participating in _any_ discussion about her. Either you truly had personal issues with the princess, or those from Alderaan, or you felt bad for the princess, and in an attempt to not look like a rebel, you overcompensated by avoiding the topic of the princess as much as possible. But given that you're from Tatooine, and, if your intake paperwork is true, from a small farm in the middle of the wastelands, it was highly unlikely that you would harbor any previous ill will towards the princess and her people. Thus, it's the second option."

"Or, perhaps I don't like rebels. Period." Luke pointed out.

"Perhaps." Agreed Thrawn, as if he were making pleasant conversation over an unimportant and yet controversial topic. "But, you have also been attempting to avoid running into me as much as possible. So, that doesn't make sense, because, obviously, I am not a rebel."

Luke swallowed. "Of course not, Sir."

"But, you are clearly _not_ a rebel. Forgive me, but you're not exactly infiltration material, so you wouldn't have joined the Imperial Navy had you been a Rebel spy. But, of course, you _could_ have been contacted by a Rebel spy within the academy. But that also doesn't make sense, because your decline in scores happened immediately upon entering the Academy." Thrawn cocked his head, studying Luke. "So why, I wondered, were you acting this way? The answer, Ensign Lars, came today, when Alderaan was destroyed."

Luke swallowed, thickly. "I wasn't feeling well."

"So you claim." Thrawn agreed, "And, there may be truth in that...though not in the traditional sense. You see, while a normal operative harboring rebel sympathies would have been understandably upset at having seen a planet be destroyed, _you_ lost consciousness-or close to it. Again, it would have made sense had you had friends and family destroyed on the planet...but we've already established that simply isn't the case, having come from Tatooine. When you left, I knew where you were going-the destruction of Alderaan had made the decision you've been wrestling with since you joined the Academy for you: Desertion."

"What?" Luke protested, his voice dry. "No...Sir, never…"

"But, you weren't going to go alone." Thrawn interrupted again, pulling something up on the data pad, before showing it to him. To Luke's horror, he saw himself in the footage of the entry room to the cell block, talking to the guards, before throwing a grenade. And, while he was wearing his TIE gear, and his face was covered, it wouldn't take much for Thrawn to have the footage analyzed, and his voice would be matched to the voice of the TIE pilot in the video. Worse-he introduced himself to the guards, which...was pretty damn incriminating. The feed cut off as he shot out the cameras, and Thrawn handed the data pad back to the officer. "That is most certainly _you."_ he cocked his head. "I expected you to rescue the princess...but I did not expect you to separate from her. Let alone give her your uniform." He glanced down at the shattered comm link. "I assume you contacted her when you noticed you were being followed."

He waited for Luke to object...but this time Luke didn't do so. " _Where_ is the princess, Ensign Lars?" Luke remained silent, and this time just glared at the Grand Admiral. When it was apparent that Luke wouldn't answer the question, Thrawn sighed. "No matter. Even disguised as a TIE pilot, we will find her. All units are already on alert." Again, he cocked his head, examining Luke curiously, as if he were an interesting piece of art rather than a captured traitor. "I'd like to know more about you. Specifically, about when you knew you were Force sensitive."

Luke blinked at him. That was unexpected...and he had no idea what the _hell_ the man was talking about. "Force...sensitive?" he asked, and this time he wasn't pretending.

"Ah," Thrawn caught on, "You don't know. How interesting." He frowned. "Still, you _are_ hiding things from me, Ensign Lars, and I fully intend on finding out what those things are." He looked at the Stormtroopers holding Luke hostage. "Take him to the detention center. I will join you shortly."

Despite knowing the risks, despite still not regretting what he'd done for the princess, Luke couldn't help the panic that rose up. He knew what would happen. He'd been trained on how to resist torture tactics just like the ones the Empire used on its prisoners-and he was _sure_ that for a trained soldier, they would have something special in mind. But, as the troopers pulled him to his feet and began escorting him back towards the detention block, he could find no way out of it. Again, he thought back to his aunt and uncle, and the warnings they'd given him. He wished he'd listened. If only he could go back in time and change things...but he couldn't.

The one consolation he had in all this was: At least the princess was safe. At least he'd warned her. If she was safe...for some reason, he felt it was worth it.

* * *

 **Dun, dun, duuuuuun! So, Leia is wandering the halls of the Death Star in TIE pilot gear. Obi-Wan is heading to de-activate the tractor beam, and Luke is getting hauled off to prison. I figured Thrawn being there, he'd cause some...problems. The guy is insanely smart, and I'm excited for his next book coming out in a few months...cuz I love me some Thrawn.**

 **The song for this chapter is Luke and Leia's theme (Return of the Jedi), and The Death Star/The Stormtroopers (New Hope).**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	9. Finding Leia

_I am_ _not_ _afraid_ , Leia Organa told herself over and over again, her breath echoing inside of the black TIE fighter mask. _I am_ _not_ _afraid_.

She often said those words to herself right before she was about to do something risky. Something about saying them, even in her head, made the fear...not go away exactly, but not suffocate her and make her freeze. It was an effort to maintain a steady, straight backed, "Imperial" pace, as she strode down the corridors of the Death Star. There was no reason for her to worry: She was headed towards a hangar bay in a TIE pilot set of armor, which was not at _all_ unusual. Lars had also said that they were bringing in new recruits to the station daily, so if she seemed a little lost, that was certainly natural, too. He'd even given her the trooper number of another female in his unit who was off duty for the next twelve hours, so if anyone stopped her and asked, she had something to say to at least get her past them long enough to escape.

Or, so she hoped.

For all she knew, the boy, who looked to be about her age, could be lying, or very, very foolish. But, for some odd reason, she didn't think that was the case: Lars seemed genuine, and the dead bodies she'd passed when they'd separated seemed to confirm it. She gripped the comm unit he'd given her tightly in her hand, hoping not only for her own safety, but the boy's as well. What he was doing... _risky_ didn't cover it. It was more like suicidal, helping her off of the battlestation. Now what he was currently doing, disabling the tractor beam, was even _more_ dangerous. If he was caught, or recognized, then not only would he branded a traitor to the Empire, but her _own_ escape would be cut short. Perhaps, she thought, biting her lip nervously, perhaps she should have gone with him.

But no, that deep into the battlestation wearing the obvious TIE uniform she currently wore, she would have stood out like a sore thumb. Lars had said that the tractor beam wasn't near enough to a hangar bay to frequently see armored pilots over there. But, a uniformed one...maybe. Despite the bad feeling rolling in her gut, she had no choice but to trust that he knew what he was doing and stick to the plan.

Suddenly, the comm crackled to life. She pulled it close, checking to make sure none were around to hear, and her heart sank at the words Lars whispered through. " _I'm compromised."_ His voice was strained and hurried. She gripped the comm tighter, hearing modulated voices of stormtroopers screaming at him to halt as he hissed, " _Run, get off the station, don't look back."_

Then, silence. Dead silence.

She stopped short, staring at the comm, a strong sense of foreboding overwhelming her for a moment, her heart hammering so hard against her chest, it was hard to breathe. _Every_ instinct told her to turn back, to find him, to rescue him as he'd done her...but she couldn't. She was...the _only_ remnant of her father's influence in the Rebellion. Her father and mother, adopted as they were, who had done so much, who had even risked her to carry out the most important mission of all...a mission that was still unfinished. A mission that, should they fail, would bring the _entire_ galaxy to the brink of total, irrevocable dictatorship under the rule of the cruelest, most _evil_ despot the galaxy had _ever_ seen...Emperor Palpatine. As much as she'd felt... _something_ connecting her with that boy, she couldn't risk the entire Rebellion, and therefore, the freedom of the galaxy, on someone she didn't know.

He knew what he was doing when he betrayed the Empire, she told herself, pushing past the horrible sinking feeling in her gut. Just as Rogue One knew what _they_ were doing when they undertook that unsanctioned mission to get the Death Star plans. _So many gave their lives for us to defeat this station...and I must honor that._

So, she pressed on, each step feeling like lead, as she turned down more twisting hallways until finally, she was near the hangar bay. She paused at a window overlooking the bay, her eyes roaming over the potential ships she could steal. She could, she mused, steal a TIE. It _would_ make sense, given that she was wearing a uniform. But, an unscheduled departure would raise suspicions, and even worse, the ships didn't have hyperdrive capability. _Or,_ she scowled, _shielding_. And, with Alderaan being gone, that would be too much space to travel…

Tears sprang to her eyes, threatening to overwhelm her every time she thought about her lost homeworld, her lost parents… She shook her head. No. She had a mission. Grieving...grieving would come later, when the station was destroyed.

She continued to look, pausing when her eyes fell on what had to be the biggest piece of junk she'd _ever_ seen. What was _that_ piece of garbage doing there? She wondered incredulously: It certainly wasn't the Empire's. It had to be captured by the Imperials, but who, in their right mind, would even _fly_ that dilapidated hunk of junk through the cold vacuum of space?!  
But then, perhaps she'd just answered her own question. Right mind, indeed. There was no way she could use that, she decided, her eyes again scanning...but they kept coming back to the ship. Something... _stirred_ , within her. The same something that had drawn her eyes to Lars the day she'd been marched past him in the hall.

The Force.

She'd been taught by her adoptive parents and Obi-Wan _not_ to ever use her powers, not until Obi-Wan could come for her to train her properly. They were powers she'd inherited from Anakin Skywalker, her true father, the man who had gone missing in action on the day of her birth. A man Obi-Wan insisted she would meet one day, but she doubted now that she ever would. But now, her adoptive parents were dead. Obi-Wan was _hopefully_ with the R2 unit she'd sent to him with the Death Star plans...though, she'd instructed him to go to Alderaan. She had no idea where he was now, or what he'd do...and Force, she hoped he wasn't on the planet when…

 _Focus._ She scolded herself, bringing herself back to the present. Though she made sure her Force presence was hidden at all times, she still couldn't help but sometimes feel it's direction. Now, it seemed to bring her focus back to the piece of junk, as if _that_ was her ticket out of there. Which...had to be wrong. It just had to be. She wasn't trained. It could totally be wrong. Right?

But no...no, it seemed insistent. With a sigh, she turned away from the window, already deciding she was going crazy and would regret this...and again, felt that tug in the Force. She paused, frowning: It wasn't leading towards the hangar bay, as she had hoped, but rather...to a door nearby. A door which, she knew, probably led to a control center for the hangar bay. A door with a bunch of Imperials behind it.

Just kriffing great. This was insanity, plain and simple.

Again, she tried to ignore it. Again, it just seemed to become _more_ insistent, pointing her in that direction. She scowled, cursing the little she knew about the Force, as she turned towards the door. She hoped the stories were right: That the Force would guide and protect. _May the Force be with me,_ she thought sarcastically, as she pressed the button on the control panel, and the doors opened. Where she came face to face with three Stormtroopers, and a Wookie in cuffs, who looked about to leave the control center themselves.

They froze, all of them, staring at one another. Leia resisted the urge to raise her gun, remembering that she was in a TIE fighter armor suit, and couldn't be recognized. She stood to attention, like she'd seen multiple other troopers do her entire life. "Is this not the fresh…" she began, but she trailed off as her eyes caught sight of _who,_ exactly, was behind them. She'd recognize them anywhere. She'd grown up with them, after all: Her father's droids. Threepio, and Artoo!. Her eyes flashed to the troopers, who were standing there awkwardly, as though deciding what to do, and she demanded, "Where the hell did you get those droids?!"

At the mention of droids, two of the troopers raised their guns on her, the Wookie roaring in challenge. She pulled the blaster Lars had given her, pointing it back at them, though she knew four against one was not a fight she could win. Though, maybe she _could_ free the Wookie and they could fight together. After all, the Wookies had not been treated humanely by the Empire at all.

But, the tallest of the Stormtroopers, the one that, she noticed, _barely_ fit in the armor, held up a hand. "Hold on!" He barked, not looking at his companions, but at her through that emotionless helmet. "Hold your fire!"

She rounded the gun at him. "Release the droids." She snarled through her mask. "They're coming with _me!_ " She had to get Artoo away from here. If the Empire had them….oh Force...if they'd already analyzed the plans….

"I don't think so." The trooper said. "What's your identification?"

She was so mad, she didn't even think before she ripped out a retort. "What's _YOUR_ identification?!" She demanded instead, "These droids shouldn't be here!"

The other taller trooper sounded like he was groaning. "Why can't we just shoot her?!"

That made her pause, her eyebrows rising inside her helmet. Stormtroopers didn't question orders. Ever. To do so, was treason. And, taking a closer look at the Wookie's binders, they weren't even properly attached. The Wookie could spring and tear everyone's arms off any moment, but he didn't. So why…? "Who _are_ you?" The tallest Stormtrooper asked again, insisting.

She hesitated, debating on shooting them, grabbing the droids and getting out of there, but...again. That _feeling_...drawing her towards him. As if the Force recognized him, and wanted her to reveal herself. But why? Trust the Force...or ignore it? What would her father say if he were here?

She knew the answer already.

She stepped into the room, and the door slid shut behind her before she reached up and removed the helmet. "My name is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan." She said, glaring, her gun still pointed at them. "Now, give me back _my_ droids and get the _hell_ outta my way. Or, I'll blow you all to pieces."

* * *

Force, it _was_ her! So, much like Padme. _So much like me._

Leia was definitely _his_ daughter alright. Even if Obi-Wan hadn't told him, he'd have known simply by the way she'd introduced herself, holding them at gunpoint (despite Padme's and Solo's guns being on her). She had the Nabierre gutsy-ness and the Skywalker abrasive-ness. _In spades,_ he thought with some amusement. Plus, he could _feel_ the Force moving towards her, as if her very presence drew it all in-even if her presence _was_ still muted in the Force, nearly invisible for anyone who wasn't looking.

But, Artoo had found Leia's cell, not minutes before, and Anakin had already been hyper aware, looking for her specifically, though he'd never met her. Knowing she was here, captured, slated for execution...It had been exhilarating to find out she was _so_ unexpectedly close, and terrifying all at the same time, because of her impending execution. He and Padme had immediately insisted on a rescue mission...and it wasn't until Anakin had mentioned the possibility of a _lucrative_ reward before Han had agreed to the insane plan: Use their Stormtrooper disguises, escort Chewie through the battle station as a prisoner, then free Leia. All before Obi-Wan got back from the tractor beam controls.

But now, there she was. Right in front of them. In a black armored uniform he didn't recognize, her dark hair pulled back into a messy bun to fit into the helmet, loose strands sticking to her forehead from sweat. Glaring at them, determined to be successful against all odds.

He loved her already.

She was the spitting image of his wife, just as Obi-Wan had said: Dark brown hair, dark, soulful eyes that held fire in them, a petite figure that held more energy and spirit than many tried-and-true warriors he'd met in his lifetime. But, Obi-Wan didn't tell him that she had _his_ lips, _his_ nose, _his_ glare, or _his_ presence...not the presence of a senator, though she was that: No. The presence of a general.

The moment she took off her helmet, Artoo squealed happily, rolling forward to greet her, while also attempting to tell her that these were friends. "Oh, Your Highness," Threepio greeted, sounding relieved as he followed after Artoo, "It is _so_ good to see you again, but...please. There's no need for violence-"

"Well," Solo said sarcastically, lowering his gun, "Her Worshipfulness saved herself. Now we don't have to risk our own necks with this stupid plan." He began taking off Chewie's binders, and Leia's gaze swept over Anakin back to Solo, her eyes narrowing, flashing dangerously, as her lips turned into a scowl.

"Your _Worshipfulness?!_ " She echoed quietly, "Just who the _hell_ do you think you are?!"

Oh, and she _definitely_ had the Skywalker temper.

Han had already taken off the helmet, shaking his head, his hair tousling as he gave her a sardonic look. "I'm here to rescue you." He shot Anakin a sour look. "Apparently."

Surprise flashed across her face, followed by a brief moment of uncertainty, but still she didn't lower the gun. "Some rescue this is." She snapped. "Who _are_ you people supposed to be?!"

" _Leia,_ " Anakin cut in, before Han could open his mouth and ruin the moment more than he already had. When he spoke her name, it was almost like a prayer: Reverent. Soft. Desperate. He reached up, slowly, so as not to startle her into shooting him, and took off his helmet. She stared at him, and he at her, both of them sizing one another up. He opened his mouth, wanting, no, _needing_ to say something, but all that came out was a pained, " _Leia_ …"

More uncertainty. "We've established that's who _I_ am. Obviously, you're not really Stormtroopers: Your appearance is totally out of regulation." Now, she lowered the gun, though she didn't put it away. "Now. I'll ask you again, and you _will_ answer me. Who. Are. _You?!_ "

Pride swelled within him. How could it not? She was all he'd hoped she would be, and so much more. The daughter he'd always wanted. And now, standing in front of her, he was again hit with the realization of what he'd missed. Her entire life: All nineteen years of it. He missed her first words, her first steps, her birthdays, her laughter, her hopes and worries, her tears, her warmth...and now, here she was before him, a grown woman. Physically not much younger than he was. Hell, even mentally not that much younger, even if, in that moment, he felt ancient. There were no words to express any of this.

But, it was Padme who spoke next. Padme who removed her helmet, dropping it to the floor with a thud, tears falling freely down her face. "Oh, Leia," Padme said, her voice anguished. Leia, startled by Padme's tears, looked at her, eyebrows arched, sizing her up, waiting for an explanation. "Leia...I'm...I'm Padme Naberrie Amidala Skywalker." She finally managed, before gesturing at Anakin. "This...this is my husband, Anakin Skywalker...And, _we_ are your parents...your _birth_ parents."

An awkward silence fell across the room. Anakin wasn't sure what he expected: Tears of joy? Anger? Happiness? A 'nice to meet you'? But Leia just stared, her eyes darting back and forth between them. It was Chewie who let out a wail, which caused Han to reply, "Yeah, I know you said so, but...that's impossible!" He motioned to Leia, and then back to Padme and Anakin. "You're all the same age. _You_ …," he pointed at Anakin, "were a Jedi hero in the _Clone Wars._ Even living on the streets, I heard stories about you, The Hero with no Fear! But, that was twenty years ago!"

"I hate to agree with him - you have _no idea_ how much - but he's right." Leia said, her voice hard. Yet there was a tremble there that hadn't been there before. "My father...my birth father...went missing years ago. And, my birth mother was isolated, sick from something."

"You're not wrong," Anakin replied darkly, and he and Padme exchanged looks, silently communicating on the best way to tell her. _Together,_ they decided with a nod to each other. "It's a long story, but basically Emperor Palpatine, or Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord, as I know him, wanted me to become his apprentice. I said no, and he overpowered me, then he shoved me in carbonite to keep me as a trophy…"

"And, to save _me_ after giving birth to you, Obi-Wan placed _me_ in carbonite too, while he looked for your father." Padme added.

"Obi-Wan recently rescued me, thanks to information obtained from your adoptive father, Bail, but it took a while to infiltrate my prison, find me, free me, and then escape."

"Then they came to where Obi-Wan had hidden me to protect me from Palpatine, freed me, and I've been healing for the last month. As soon as I was well, we were on our way to finally meet you…"

"...and we ran into Artoo and Threepio on Tatooine, who gave us your message. So, we came to deliver their message and the plans and…" he trailed off, not wanting to bring up Alderaan. At the same time, the impact of Alderaan's destruction, of what that would mean for her adopted parents, the only people she'd ever known as family, and her home world finally hit him. Sure, he'd thought about it, but standing there, watching Leia, his daughter, his own flesh and blood, everything he could ever have asked for in a daughter...it _really_ sank in. The look she was giving them was beyond overwhelmed. She believed them, he knew that, could sense it through the Force.

But, she'd literally lost _everything_ she'd ever known not hours ago. Now, here _they_ were, out of the blue, announcing they were her birth parents, wanting to be a family again...and she was obviously not expecting or prepared for that. Had Bail and Breha been alive still, they could have eased into it, and maybe they could have considered their families all one big happy family. But now they were gone, and Leia looked so very alone, standing there between them, staring at them as if she wasn't sure whether to shoot them or run away. And, she wasn't alone: When they told Luke of _his_ guardians' deaths, Anakin suddenly realized that perhaps his son would react the same way as his twin.

"Leia," Padme said slowly, and Anakin could tell she'd realized the same thing, "We aren't trying to...to replace Bail and Breha, and we…"

Leia held up a gloved hand, cutting her off. Again, there was silence, save only for the mournful beep from Artoo, a muffled, " _Oh Dear,"_ from Threepio, and an agreeing moan from Chewie. Leia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, gone was the uncertainty, the sense of overwhelming pressure from having reunited with the very _last_ people she'd probably expected to meet.

No, when she opened her eyes to look at them, in its place, was a leader. A senator. A princess. A warrior. "Now is _not_ the time for family drama." She said, her voice clear, confident, and commanding. "Now is the time to figure out how we're going to get off of this kriffing death machine, get the droids to Rebel command, and destroy this monstrosity before _more_ planets end up like Alderaan."

Padme bit her lip, obviously upset with how their much anticipated reunion was turning out, but she nodded. "Later." She promised.

Anakin shook his head, incredulous at his wife and daughter. That sense of absolute duty _so_ didn't come from _him._ No, _that_ not so little trait was one hundred percent Naberrie to the core. It drove him _crazy_ when Padme did it to _him_ -he wasn't sure what he was going to do with the two most important women in his life _both_ acting that way. He'd never understand it. If he was in Leia's shoes, he'd be an absolute mess. But maybe...maybe in this case it would just save all their skins.

"Well, that's the trick, isn't it," Han sarcastically said, sensing that it was okay for him to interject again. He'd taken a seat again at the control panel. "We gotta wait for the old man to get that tractor beam down. No ship is leaving here unscheduled with that thing still on."

"Old Man?" Leia frowned, then remembered. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, I presume."

"Yes." Padme nodded, still looking at Leia like all she wanted to do was to pull her into a hug. Anakin figured he probably didn't look much different, since that's exactly what he wanted to do, also. "He should be arriving back any minute now. At least, it didn't look that far on the map Artoo pulled up."

"Trust me, this place is _way_ bigger than it looks on screen." Leia replied dryly. "There's a ship out there that could carry us all, though it's a piece of junk and might get shot down…"

"Watch it, Sweetheart! That 'piece of junk,' as you so put it," Han retorted, jerking upright in his chair and glaring at her, "is the fastest ship in the galaxy, I'll have you know!"

If Leia was supposed to be impressed, she wasn't. Anakin couldn't help but smile as she met Han's gaze straight on with a glare and said, " _Sweetheart?!_ You came in that thing? You must be braver than I thought, or stupider...I'm not sure which, you scruffy looking nerf herder."

Han opened his mouth, closed it, then glared at Anakin. "No reward is worth this." He growled, motioning to Leia.

"If money is all you want, then _that's_ what you'll receive. Quite the mercenary, aren't you?," Leia interjected, her temper obviously flaring, before Anakin could protest that comment.

"Yeah, and good!" Han snapped.

"Good!," Leia agreed, apparently satisfied that she had a plan now to get off the space station.

He caught Padme's eye, who seemed equally perplexed and amused by the animosity between the two. "Well," She said with a slow smile, "I'm thinking this is going to be a very long flight."

"I think I'll have to agree." Anakin said, chuckling, and shaking his head at his daughter's and the smuggler's behavior.

Chewie roared in obvious agreement. Artoo chittered and beeped, agreeing as well. But, Threepio summed it up best, "Oh Dear. I _knew_ I hated space travel."

* * *

Obi-Wan couldn't believe the stupidity of these Stormtroopers. They were nowhere _near_ as sophisticated, as observant, as calculating as the Clone Troopers he'd commanded back in his day. Force, how he _wished_ Commander Cody was here with him on this mission. He wondered why the Emperor had done away with them, when the Clone Troopers had effectively wiped out most of the Jedi Order. Perhaps they outgrew their usefulness, given their accelerated aging process, or perhaps he couldn't keep them under his control and manipulation forever. Unlike _these_ Stormtroopers.

Obi-Wan walked a brisk and yet casual pace down the hallways. He was completely out of place within the pristine surroundings. He didn't even have his hood up over his head. He kept to mostly empty hallways, but anytime an officer or Stormtrooper passed, he casually sent them on their way with a flick of his fingers and a simple redirect with the Force. There wasn't even any resistance. Pitiful.

He turned the last corner, finding the tractor controls whirring next to the walkway, and hurriedly edged his way out onto it. This, at least, wasn't that different. The technology was a little updated, true, but the process to deactivate a tractor beam wasn't much different than it had been twenty years ago in the Clone Wars. He began, pulling down a lever, hearing the power hum as it gradually fizzle out. Next, he moved over a couple of steps, aware that a squad of troopers were marching on one of the pathways over head, and slowly turned the dial. The power gauge on the screen faded into nothing.

 _Almost done_ , he thought, as he again stepped back and reached for the first lever. A squad of troopers turned the corner at that moment. Four of them, he counted, as they stopped at the doorway. "Give me regular reports, please." One of them said to the two behind them, and then the first two continued on. Obi-Wan slowly pulled the lever back up, praying that the troopers wouldn't hear the noise. Done.

Obi-Wan pulled away slightly, satisfied with his work, glancing to the two troopers muttering about drills to one another. He edged back the other way, and peered back around the corner. The two were now discussing VT-16s, and as Obi-Wan reached out and used the Force to draw their attention behind them, he smiled to himself. It was a conversation he could well imagine Luke and Anakin getting heavily into. The smile faded as he hurried out of the room, pausing for a moment to make sure the troopers hadn't spotted him. They hadn't, and they were going back to their earlier conversation.

Luke. They were still missing Luke. Perhaps they'd lost Leia, too-Had she been on Alderaan when it was destroyed? Force, he hoped not. He hadn't given himself time to consider the ramifications if she had. Her death, along with the deaths of her adoptive parents, would be a _huge_ blow to the Rebellion, to the galaxy. Even more so, it would be a possibly irrevocably damaging blow to her real parents. Anakin didn't handle the loss of a loved one well. The death of his mother had proven _that,_ and Obi-Wan feared what would happen if one or both of the twins were to be lost.

But...no. As he made his way back through the twisting hallways, he reached out to the Force. No, it didn't feel as if she had died. Surely, the Force would have warned him about her death. He would have felt it. Besides, the message implied she was _about_ to be captured by the Empire. If she hadn't talked herself out of things (which was entirely possible considering who her mother was), she might still be held in some Imperial cell somewhere. Still not a good alternative, but it was still something they could rescue her _from._

Then there was the matter of her brother…

He paused as the Force stirred at the thought of Luke. He stood alone in the cold hallway, focusing on that feeling. Luke had left home to become a TIE pilot. What _if_ …? But, surely not. What were the chances the Force would lead them unexpectedly to the missing Skywalker boy? Yet, the battlestation was huge. Enormous even. It would take considerable man power to keep it going, to keep it protected. Luke could have been assigned there, even if he _was_ still a rookie. He supposed it was possible…

He reached out into the Force, searching for the answers he sought. What echoed back to him was nothing short of concerning: The Force thrummed with raw _urgency,_ tugging at him, leading not in the direction of the hangar bay, but the hallway adjacent to the one he currently stood in. It made no sense. He needed to get back. Before he'd left, they'd decided on a time to meet back up at the Falcon. After that, if he wasn't there, surely the smuggler would attempt to leave him behind. He knew Anakin and Padme would never allow that, but Obi-Wan wouldn't be surprised if the smuggler decided to hell with it and left them _all_ behind to save his own skin. Maybe. He'd sensed untapped potential in the smuggler, yes, not duplicity, but...maybe.

Still, he'd been one with the Force long enough to know when to listen to it, and the Force demanded to be listened to _now._ So, he turned towards the hallway, intending to investigate, but the familiar sound of the snap-hiss of a lightsaber filled the hallway. Tensing, Obi-Wan whirled, his own hand going to his own lightsaber at his belt, turning to find that he was no longer alone in the hallway.

A cloaked figure stood there, and if the Dark Side coating every fiber of it's being wasn't enough to tell Obi-Wan that this was a Sith, the red blade of it's lightsaber most certainly did. The figure's hood concealed it's facial features, and the dark robe hid its body enough that Obi-Wan wasn't sure if it was male or female. It certainly was a tall figure, to be sure. Still, with a Sith, gender didn't matter. All that mattered was that this person obviously wasn't the Emperor, and from what he'd heard, felt more menacing in the Force than a typical Inquisitor. No, its presence was similar to that of Count Dooku, with absolutely _no_ light or goodness in their presence. As if they were leeching all of the good in the galaxy by merely standing there. Not good. Not good at _all._

Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber, activating it. He felt oddly calm and at ease, even though he mentally knew he was no longer the young warrior who had defeated and killed Darth Maul, not once, but twice. If this was indeed a new apprentice, they were likely to be young, in their prime. Yet, there was nowhere to run. He certainly couldn't lead it back to his friends. Force no.

But...Luke….if Luke were here…

But, Luke was promptly forgotten when the figure stepped forward, almost casually, finally speaking. "It's been a long time, Obi-Wan." He said, and Obi-Wan's entire body froze with shock. No...it _couldn't_ be!…His aged blue-green eyes widened in horror when the cloaked figure drew back its hood.

"I've been waiting for you."

* * *

"No. Absolutely not! We're _not_ leaving him behind!" Anakin all but shouted at the smuggler.

Padme bit her lip, glancing at Leia, still in that black uniform, who also looked between the two men as if she was deciding which one to side with. "He's in danger, I can _feel_ it, and he needs our help!"

They'd already waited fifteen minutes after Obi-Wan was supposed to return. Solo, of course, had immediately insisted that they needed to go, and Anakin had just about bit the smuggler's head off. It had quieted Solo for a few minutes, but Padme could tell that with each passing minute the man was becoming more and more desperate to leave. "We're surrounded by Imperials on the largest battlestation this galaxy has ever known!" Han argued, "Any minute now someone is going to walk into this control room and notice we're obviously _not_ real stormtroopers!"

Han had a point, and normally Padme would have tried to reason with her husband, but...this was Obi-Wan they were talking about. "We can't leave him." Padme said, coming to her husband's defense. "Obi-Wan is more than a Jedi Master, he's our dearest friend."

Anakin threw her a grateful look before he turned the full might of his insistence back on the smuggler. "Obi-Wan would do the same for you."

"Then he's a bigger fool than I thought." Han grumbled, turning to Leia. He motioned at Anakin and Padme, a pleading look on his face. "Please reason with your parents, Your Highness."

Wrong thing to say. Leia immediately bristled, either from the tone Han was using, or the fact he'd called them her parents. Padme tried not to be offended as Leia started to say, "They're not my…" she trailed off, catching herself as she realized that indeed, they _were_ her parents, and shook her head. "I can't tell them what they can or can't do. The decision is theirs." Now Leia looked at them, that uncertainty in her dark brown eyes. _Force, she looks just like me,_ Padme thought weakly for about the thousandth time since she'd stormed into the control room and announced who she was. "But, I _do_ need to get back to the Rebellion with the droids. The plans Artoo carries are vital to the freedom of the whole galaxy." She didn't say what words hung unspoken in the room: That the plans Artoo carried held the key to stopping the Empire from destroying more worlds. Like Alderaan.

Padme longed to go to her, to hold her in her arms and console her...to just _feel_ her...but she knew now wasn't the time. In this respect, Leia was very much _her_ daughter, putting duty before her own feelings. It was both a blessing and a curse, and while it was keeping her daughter from crumpling in defeat, it was also keeping Padme from the reunion she so wished she could have. Later, she promised herself. "Why don't we do this?" She began, deciding to offer an alternative, "Solo, Leia, the droids and I will go back to the Falcon and get her ready. Anakin and Chewbacca, you can go…"

She never got to finish. Suddenly, Anakin went bone-white, his eyes widening in horror, a hand going to his chest as he stumbled back. For a moment, Padme panicked, thinking that the Death Star had destroyed another world. It was the same look Anakin had gotten when Alderaan had been destroyed, and as he leaned back against the control panel, Padme rushed to his side. "What's wrong, Ani?" she urged, her hands on his armored shoulders. Force, he was shaking. Violently. This close, she could see that a cold sweat had broken out across his forehead, and his breathing had turned raspy.

"What's his problem?" Solo asked, and though he acted like he didn't particularly care, Padme could hear the worried undertone in the smuggler's voice. Maybe the man did have a heart after all.

Anakin didn't respond, even as Padme continued to try to urge him to speak. At first, he opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out, and he closed it again, reaching up to put his face in his hands. "A-Anakin?" Padme turned to find Leia had approached, staring at Anakin reluctantly, worriedly, and Padme couldn't help the pang in her chest to hear her call Anakin by his first name, and not Dad, or Father. But, then again, she didn't know they _really_ existed up until half an hour ago. She couldn't blame her. Still.

But the sound of her voice got Anakin to lower his hands, and the look in his eyes...fury. Absolute fury. Loss. Devastation. Those sky-blue eyes were a storm of emotions, and Padme resisted the urge to step away from him. "He's...he's dead."

Padme froze, her entire body locking up. She didn't need to know who he meant. She knew.

"Who?" Leia asked, even more concerned, " _Who's_ dead…?"

"Obi-Wan." Anakin cut her off, his voice a snarl. "They...just now. He's been killed."

"How do you….?"

Anakin looked like he was about to snap, and Padme rushed to intercept, before he could scare Leia away in his anger. Anakin was...as much as she loved him...when he was truly angry, he tended to lose it. To become irrational. And, the last time he'd even _thought_ Obi-Wan was dead, he'd gone on a crusade to hunt down his killer. "He can feel those things. In the Force. He's a Jedi...like Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan was his former master," Padme explained grimly. "Anakin, are you…?"

"Sure?" Anakin growled, "Yeah. I just…." his voice broke, and tears sprang to his eyes as he whirled on Solo. "I should have gone for him. I _told_ you we couldn't leave him behind!"

Solo had the good sense to be unnerved...and to keep his smart mouth shut. Chewbacca growled in warning, stepping between Anakin and the smuggler. While a Wookie was a formidable foe, an angry Jedi was more so.

"Anakin." Padme said, firmly, trying to ignore the way her own heart cried out in sorrow for her lost friend. "It's _not_ Solo's fault. It's not anyone of _our_ faults. We'll….we'll figure out who did this."

Anakin was silent for a long moment, his entire body still shaking. To Padme's alarm, there were now tears falling down her husband's face. Her heart broke. "It's Palpatine's." She'd never heard him sound so...vengeful. No, that wasn't right. He'd sounded this way after he'd killed all of the Tusken Raiders. Obi-Wan...he'd been her friend. But, Anakin had loved Obi-Wan like a _brother,_ or a father figure. Now, he was gone. "I'll destroy him." No one spoke a word in argument as Anakin turned back to Padme, meeting her eyes fiercely, promise written all over them. "I swear. I will bring him down and restore balance to this galaxy. For Obi-Wan. For you. For our family." He looked at Leia at that, and though she stared at him, a little unnerved by what she was seeing...she nodded in understanding, and something in her eyes echoed her father's.

In many ways, Padme thought weakly, Leia was her father's daughter, too.

But, they didn't get to dwell on anything. Behind them, the door to the control room hissed open, revealing an unsuspecting officer. For a moment, the officer just stared: Four helmet-less people posing as stormtroopers. Two droids. One angry wookie who roared at him. The man paled, reaching for a com link.

Leia was faster. She whipped out the blaster she'd threatened them with earlier and blasted the man right in the chest, sending him sprawling...the sound echoing through the corridors. Shouts of alarm sounded back as the man crumpled against the opposite wall, dead. "Well," Solo said sarcastically, "Guess we have no choice now except to hope the old man brought down the tractor beam before he bought it." Padme winced, opening her mouth to calm Anakin before he could strangle the smuggler, but Han and Chewie were already racing out of the control room. Leia started after them, though she paused at the entrance, looking back at her parents.

"Well? You coming?" She asked, arching an eyebrow when Padme and Anakin hadn't moved yet, "Did you mean what you said or was that just a bunch of words?"

Anakin's fists clenched, but he replied, "Of course, I did!"

Leia didn't seem offended by his tone. Instead, she smiled grimly. "Then let's get going and bring down an Empire."

* * *

 **Sorry it's taken so long. Things have been extremely busy around here. Hopefully I can get back to story updates sooner. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Who is the hooded figure? I know, but I'm not telling! 3 Let me know what you thought!**

 **The song for this chapter is Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack by John Williams.**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


	10. What's in a Name

Pain. So much kriffing _pain!_

Unlike _anything_ he'd ever felt before.

Luke cracked his eyes open, breathing hard, his entire body aching and quivering in pain. Part of his training had been in drilling torture resistance tactics, of course, and at least on a minor level, they had experienced simulations of torture. _Minor_ being the operative word there. Their enemies, they'd been told, would stop at _nothing_ to get information about the Empire out of them.

At the time, Luke had never imagined those same tactics would one day be used against him. How he wished it'd stayed that way. So far, it had just been the Empire's favorite torture technique: Electrocution. He'd always wondered why...especially since training had gone into _way_ more advanced methods of torture. But, after spending what felt like forever being constantly electrocuted between questions about the Princess, where the Rebellion was, etc. (Like he _really_ .), he could see why so many prisoners cracked before they moved on to more advanced methods.

To say it was hell was a kriffing understatement.

The problem was, he didn't know the answers to _any_ of their questions, with the exception of where the Princess was, and he wasn't about to divulge _that_ information. He'd been trained by the Empire to resist torture methods like the Empire had-he wasn't about to give in easily. Soon enough, she'd be off the ship, and he'd legitimately not know where she was. Then he would probably be executed...but at least she'd be safe. He'd have done something to make up for his stupid role in this wretched Empire.

"Where is the princess?" The interrogator was calm, his voice never changing.

Luke huffed, shooting him a glare. "Long. Gone." Same thing he'd been saying since he'd been dragged into this cell and strapped to this damn chair. Just as before, the interrogator sighed in disappointment, as though Luke was some wayward child. Seconds later, electricity slammed into Luke again, and he was screaming, his throat raw and chaffing, tears involuntarily leaking from the corners of his eyes as his back arched…

Distantly, the sound of the door whooshed open, and someone said, "That's enough." A moment later, the pain was gone, and Luke slammed back down, drawing in gulping, painful breaths as his vision fought to clear.

He wished he'd blacked out. Standing in front of him in that stupid pristine uniform was none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn, looking Luke over with a mild interest that set him on edge. "Ensign Lars." He greeted, as though Luke had entered his office for a mission briefing. "It's good to see that the Empire's training against torture actually works. For now."

"I don't...have anything...to hide." Luke panted, mustering up the energy to glare at the man. The door, he noticed was still open behind him, and desperately Luke thought that if he could somehow get free of the bonds holding him…

"So you say." Thrawn agreed politely. "But, I'm not here about your rebel Princess. No, she will be found, one way or another, I assure you." He stepped closer, observing Luke as though he were an interesting test subject, not a traitorous turn coat. "Actually, I'm _far_ more interested in your natural abilities with the Force."

Again, that word. He didn't know what it meant, and yet Thrawn seemed to think he had it. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Luke snapped. That, he was legitimately telling the truth on. He had no kriffing clue what this 'Force' was.

"I know you don't. Perhaps if you'd known, you might have succeeded in helping your princess. But, that's no longer important. The important thing is this: I need to decide what to do with you." Luke tried to keep the confusion from off his face, but Thrawn seemed to see it anyway. "The Force is what gives the Jedi their power. I assume you've heard of Jedi, yes?"

"Of course, but that's not…"

"I know that isn't you, Ensign Lars, but the point is, _you_ have their power. It's a natural ability many would crave, if it wasn't banned by the Empire, of course." For the attempt the Jedi made on the Emperor's life. Of course. Everyone knew that.

"But, I'm not special." Luke said, earnestly this time. "Don't you think I'd _notice_ if I had some crazy mystical power?"

"Perhaps." Thrawn conceded with a tilt of his head. "Perhaps not. If there really is nothing there, then there's nothing to hide, is there?" Luke was silent at that. Thrawn smiled softly. "Tell me Luke, about your parents."

Luke tensed. His parents? What did his parents have to do with anything? He thought about that prompting he'd had when he'd joined...to not give his real last name. To give the name of his aunt and uncle. "I lived with my aunt and uncle." He said, truthfully. That much could be proven by Imperial records. "I don't know who my parents are." Lie. He knew his father's name, and only because his uncle had slipped up and said it one day when he was about four. It was then that he'd taken on his true name: Skywalker. That was it. Nothing about his mother. No real details even about his father. Even if he did know, he didn't understand why that was important to Thrawn.

"I already knew that from your file." Thrawn waved it off. "You know more about your parents than you're telling me." Those glowing red eyes narrowed. "If there's nothing to hide, then just tell me."

Luke frowned, trying to find any reason Thrawn should or would care. He couldn't find any. Hell, he _still_ wasn't even sure why he was keeping quiet about his real last name. He hadn't before on Tatooine. Why did it matter now? He opened his mouth…

 _No, Luke! You mustn't tell them anything!_

Luke was startled by the voice in his head, and his mouth promptly shut. He blinked, rapidly, looking around the room for the source. Thrawn and the interrogator didn't seem to have heard it...in fact, they seemed puzzled by Luke's sudden change in mood.

"Well, Ensign Lars?" Thrawn asked, an eyebrow raising just slightly.

Again, Luke opened his mouth…. _Under no circumstance are you to tell them your last name! Thank the Force you didn't in the first place…_ Luke closed his mouth, blinking rapidly. The voice...sounded familiar. Somehow. Luke couldn't place it though…

"I don't know anything about my parents." Luke managed to say through numb lips. He didn't understand it, but...maybe he was going crazy. That's what happened to people when they started hearing voices, right?

Thrawn didn't even look disappointed. "You leave me no choice then, Ensign Lars." He stepped aside, revealing the open doorway, and the droid that waited behind him.

Luke's heart dropped into his stomach as the circular black droid floated towards him, a needle outstretched. He knew what that was. He'd read up on it in the Academy. He was all too familiar…

A torture droid.

"I told you, I don't know anything about them!" Luke pleaded, straining backwards, only to hit the cold metal of the table as the droid drew closer.

"You're lying." Thrawn said cooly as the droid pierced Luke's skin, injecting fluid that seared through Luke's veins hotter than the twin suns on Tatooine. _Amplification_ _drugs,_ Luke's frantic mind thought, as he began to squirm.

"I told you. You will tell me what it is you're hiding, and whatever that answer is, it will determine what I decide to do with you." Thrawn nodded to the interrogator. "Begin."

"Wai-" Luke was cut off as the electricity slammed into him again, and this time the agony was so powerful that he thought his entire body was ripping in two. Vaguely, he was aware of screaming, of pleading, of crying for help. He thought he heard Thrawn's voice responding...but nothing made sense anymore. The entire battle station...no, the entire galaxy….the very sense of Luke's _being_ was lost in an abyss of swirling, splitting darkness.

 _I'm so sorry, Luke,_ And the voice in his head, that stupid voice that demanded that he stay silent, was the only clear thing keeping him tethered to reality. _If I had known...Force if your damn father would just listen…._

It didn't even make sense. It kept rambling, and Luke lost track of what it was trying to tell him. But, when the pain stopped and his body was trembling with lingering spasms, he felt himself slowly coming back to half awareness. Thrawn was a blurry outline.

"I ask again... _Who_ were your parents, Ensign Lars?" The question was calm. As if he hadn't just put him through an incredible, almost indescribable amount of pain.

"Go…" Luke barely rasped from between numb lips, "To...Hell…"

A pause. "Again."

Electricity dug it's tendrils back into every fiber of Luke's being, and he was screaming again, endless in his agony…

 _I'm so, so sorry Luke,_ The voice kept pleading, _Just hold on…_

* * *

 _That was too kriffing easy,_ Anakin thought sullenly, as he sat quietly at the Dejarik table on the Falcon, staring at the game board engraved into it. Across from him sat Threepio and Artoo, the blue and white domed droid beeping mournfully, echoing his master's mood. The escape from the Death Star….the TIE fighters who had pursued...there had been too few of them. Too easy to pick off with Han manning the turrets on the Falcon while Chewbacca flew the ship. If _he_ had been in charge of apprehending them, he would have sent so many ships out, the Falcon would have been overwhelmed and would either be forced to surrender, or be eliminated.

But, it had been easy to escape. Far too easy. Which told him that whoever was in charge wanted them alive-and followed. _Good_ , he thought sourly as he brought up his metal hand to stare at it. If the Rebellion could give him an opportunity to blow up that stupid space station, he'd gladly do it. The Empire wouldn't know what hit them. They likely weren't expecting a _Jedi_ on the Rebellion's side, much less _The Chosen One_. He'd bring them down...and avenge Obi-Wan's death.

The thought made him clench his fist with rage-which quickly seeped into intense sorrow, and he lowered his mechanohand back to the table. Revenge wasn't the Jedi way. Yes, he knew this, but...Obi-Wan was _really_ gone this time. He could feel it. Unlike the first time, when he'd been tricked into thinking Obi-Wan had been killed...he could feel it in every fiber of his soul. He could feel it in the Force. And, it tore him apart.

Yes, Palpatine would pay. He couldn't _believe_ he'd ever trusted the man, couldn't….

He jumped a little when something soft and heavy was suddenly draped over his shoulders. He looked up, startled, calling to the Force for defence...and calmed immediately when he met the intense brown eyes of Leia. She had just finished speaking with her mother, it seemed-She had also taken time to get rid of the cursed TIE fighter uniform and was now wearing one of Padme's white jumpsuits, her dark mahogany hair, so like Padme's, pulled into matching spiral buns on either side of her head. For a moment, Anakin was struck dumb by just how _much_ Leia looked like Padme in that outfit. They could have been twins, except for a few minor differences. When their eyes met, she smiled sadly. "May I sit with you?" She asked hesitantly, as if she were afraid he'd tell her off for coming to him.

Anakin nodded and scooted over so that she could sit beside him, staring at his daughter as she sat with him. He did not miss the fact that while he'd lost Obi-Wan, he'd gained a daughter. An adult daughter, who hadn't been raised by him or his wife, and who had just lost her adopted parents.

And her whole planet.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, not looking up at him. "I didn't know Ben as well as you did, but...he was kind to me. Whenever he visited Al...Alderaan." The hesitation on saying her planet's name was the only glimpse of her sorrow he could detect. He couldn't even feel it through the Force...but then, even sitting next to her, her presence was almost...totally hidden. Obi-Wan had to have taught her well how to hide herself in the Force.

And, being _his_ daughter, she'd obviously mastered the skill well. Very well.

And yet, he knew she grieved. How could she not? But, here she was, comforting _him,_ saying nothing of her _own_ pain. Likely, she was compartmentalizing everything, just as her mother did when there were things that needed to be done. He wished...he wished he had that skill. But, he didn't, and Leia seemed to have picked up on that.

But, Leia was his daughter, too. While physically they were about the same age, he was _still_ her father. Unlike before, he could afford to take a moment to grieve. He had for his mother. He had for Ahsoka when she'd left. But now...now he was needed, not as a Jedi, but for the first time as a _father._ _If my mother were here,_ he wondered, _what would she do? What would she say?_

He took a deep breath. "Thank you." He said, earnestly. "He was a good friend. A brother, and a mentor. He was and will _always_ be important to our family." She looked up at that, her eyes wary. "But, I want to know what I can do for _you._ I'm not the only one who lost someone today."

Leia's eyebrows furrowed, and her lower lip trembled slightly, but her voice was calm, clear when she said, "There will be time to mourn later. Right now, we need to focus on getting those Death Star plans to the Rebellion, analyze them, and then blow up that battle station before they can blow _us_ up."

"I know." Anakin replied solemnly, nodding his head. "You're very much your mother's child when it comes to dealing with loss. I...don't handle it well." He admitted quietly, trying not to think of the Tuskens he'd slaughtered after his mother's death. "But, when it is time for mourning...just know you're not alone, Leia. Don't bottle it up inside, because if you do, eventually you'll explode. And, being Force sensitive, the consequences could be...dire."

Leia stared at him for a long moment, contemplating his words, taking him in, deciding. "I'll take that into consideration." She finally said, her gaze intent on his own. "Thank you."

"Of course." He said, earnestly. "Now. You know they're tracking us, right?"

"That's exactly what I told your smuggler friend. He doesn't seem to believe _anyone_ put a tracker on us, the stubborn Nerf Herder..." Leia rolled her eyes. "Padme is still arguing with him."

Anakin's lips twitched at that, and his eyes twinkled with mirth. "I don't envy him." He said, "But, unfortunately, this means we won't have much time to come up with a sound battle strategy."

"I know." _Good,_ he thought, satisfied. She may have been a near rubber stamp of Padme, but she'd already calculated multiple risks. She was a warrior, just as he was, and he had a feeling she was formidable. "You were a general for the Republic in the Clone Wars." It wasn't a question, rather more of a statement. Bail or Obi-Wan might have told her some things.

"Yes." Anakin replied, nodding again. "I was the Hero-With-No-Fear, according to the holoreports in all the tabloids."

"Well, I hope you live up to that title in a ship. Do you fly?" So, they hadn't told her _that_ much about him then.

"Does he fly?" Padme's voice suddenly said, and they turned to find her entering the room. She'd gotten rid of her stormtrooper armor and was wearing her normal clothes again. She sounded amused, though it was diminished by the sorrow she obviously felt from losing Obi-Wan too. "Leia, your father was and _is_ literally the best pilot the galaxy has ever seen." Anakin's chest swelled with pride at those words, and he grinned his first real grin since they'd left the Death Star. "Whatever you need him to do, he'll do it."

At this, Leia raised an eyebrow. "Good," she said, "Because I've got plans for you…"

* * *

Silence was golden.

At least, that's what he'd always heard growing up. Right now, it was just _unnerving._

Luke's world had gone quiet. The screaming had stopped. Thankfully. The pain had faded to a dull throbbing ache that permeated throughout his entire body. He shakily drew in breath, letting it out slowly each time, the sound echoing in his brain. He was alone, still strapped to that cursed table, the lights too bright overhead, causing a headache to pound through his head. It was much too warm in there for his comfort, and his body was coated in a thick sheen of sweat. His mouth was dry, his lips cracked. He wanted nothing more than to just...sleep.

He hadn't told them anything. It was the only victory he could claim. Anytime he'd been tempted to try, that voice in his head had demanded that he keep silent. _Why,_ it didn't say. Even though Thrawn's voice still bounced around in his throbbing head, even though his muscles still twitched and seized at phantom shocks...he had kept silent. He wasn't sure how, but he'd done it. When Thrawn had announced it was time for a break, he couldn't even feel grateful for it. He was certain he'd come back, after all, and it would just get worse when he did. Honestly, he didn't understand why giving up his name was so damn important anyway. But, with Thrawn gone, the voice had disappeared, too, and Luke was left wondering if he _truly_ had gone crazy.

Not that that would improve his situation any if he had.

Unable to sleep, strapped to a table, Luke had nothing better to do than wonder, groggily, whose voice it was in his head. It wasn't his own, he was definitely sure of that. He couldn't really place it. Yet, it was familiar to him. Perhaps it had something to do with that _Force_ thing Thrawn had insisted he had? Whatever the kriff it was. Maybe he would tell Thrawn he was right and that he was hearing things. Then, maybe Thrawn would decide what to do with him, and he wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

He almost snorted, but didn't have the energy.

It was stupid, of course. The Empire didn't work that way. They were harsh on Rebels-they were even _worse_ on turncoats.

The door suddenly hissed open again, and Luke lolled his head up to find the blurry outline of the blue-skinned Thrawn entering the room, a data pad in his hands. Luke frowned-was that.. _.triumph_ in the older man's expression? "I hope you had a good rest, Ensign Lars." Thrawn replied, ever polite...yet _this_ time there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. "I've come to inform you that I've decided what to do with you."

Luke's frown deepened even further at hearing this. "But...I haven't…" his speech was slurred. It was hard to get the words out because his swollen tongue felt stuck to the roof of his mouth.

"I know you didn't." Thrawn replied, but then he held up his data pad. "Or, in a way, you actually did."

 _What did you tell him?!_ The voice was back, now sounding panicked. Luke flinched at the loudness of the voice, and wondered if it was afraid that he was going to die. Strange. He himself wasn't afraid of it. Not anymore. He was beyond caring. Death would be preferable to another round of Thrawn's torture tactics, truthfully.

When Luke said nothing, Thrawn tapped his holopad and opened an image before turning it to face Luke. Luke peered down at it, trying to make out the almost illegible, familiar scribbles… "Do you recognize this?" Luke shook his head, genuinely puzzled. "They're what few records remain of the pathetic schooling you received on Tatooine. Most of the schools on Tatooine are more than lacking at best, primitive at worst. Most teachers and schools don't bother keeping schooling records. It's not unique to Tatooine, of course-many Outer Rim planets are just as spotty with the education of their young. But, your Grade Eleven teacher-Adela Finch. She was quite good at keeping records of all of her students, especially her best ones."

 _Oh Force, no…_ The voice whispered. Luke was still slow on putting the pieces together, likely from the drug still making its way through his body. He didn't understand _why_ Thrawn had gone through the trouble of asking for something that Luke had done years ago.

"I'm sure you're still dizzy from the effects of the drug, so I'll tell you what it is. It's an attendance roll, with grade markings and notes." Thrawn explained patiently. "According to Ms. Finch, _you_ were registered in school under the name of Luke Lars, but she scratched out the last name of Lars and wrote _Skywalker_ above it."

Kriff.

 _Now_ he was understanding. The voice in his head was cursing loudly and colorfully - and in languages he didn't even recognize - but Luke just stared at Thrawn, remaining silent. He remembered that day in class-just like every first day in every class he'd had growing up. The teacher would call him Luke Lars, and Luke would politely ask that they call him by his father's last name: Skywalker. It had been the stubborn insistence of a hard-headed boy who wanted nothing more than to have a connection to his long lost father. A stupid hope that if his father were somehow alive still, he'd find him, just based on that name. Now, he was found out-but not by his father. _I appreciate the love you have for your father, Luke, but did you have to be so kriffing public about it?!_ The voice was groaning. Luke might have rolled his eyes at the voice, if he hadn't still been majorly confused about why both Thrawn and the voice seemed to think this was a _big_ deal.

"So what?" Luke asked slowly, the words like cotton in his mouth, perplexity clearly evident in his expression. "Lars...Skywalker...it's just a name."

"But, that's where you're wrong, Ensign." Thrawn smiled, evidently pleased he'd won this little round. "Don't you know who your father was?"

 _Lie, Luke. Lie through your teeth!_ But, Luke didn't need to lie. He knew what Uncle Owen had told him. "He was just a pilot on a cargo ship. During the Clone Wars. He...went missing."

That seemed to amuse Thrawn. "You really don't know, do you?" Luke opened his mouth to protest, because it was the truth- _why_ would his uncle lie about something so boring? "Your father was not a pilot on a mere cargo ship, Ensign. Your father was one of the most powerful _Jedi_ to ever live."

The words...Luke understood them, but...he didn't comprehend them. "No….that's...impossible." Luke rasped, and yet from the groaning in his head from that stupid voice, he knew it to be the truth.

"Believe me, it is _entirely_ possible. I met him myself, once." Thrawn tucked the data pad away. "He was a great leader. Brave. Honorable, even, if a little rash. Now that I know _who_ your father is, I can't help but see the remarkable resemblance you bear to him."

"But...that would mean…"

"That your father was a traitor to the Empire, and that he was killed in the Jedi purge? Yes. It would." The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and he couldn't breathe. So, his uncle was right. His father...his father _was_ truly dead. And, whatever his father had done...now Luke was in trouble for it.

 _Big_ trouble.

"So...what, are you going to kill me? For things my father did?" Luke didn't even have the energy to sound defiant. Rather, he felt...defeated.

Thrawn studied him for a moment, as if he were still looking at the Jedi he had once met years ago, not the broken down boy who was strapped to a table, helpless before him. "No." Thrawn replied calmly. "There is someone who would _very_ much like to meet you."

Oh Kriff. That didn't sound good.

Luke swallowed, thickly. He had a _very_ bad feeling about this…

* * *

 **Oh no, Luke got left behind and now he's off to see a certain someone! (Ok when I typed that the song "We're off to the the Wizard" from Wizard of Oz popped in my head and now I'm snorting thanks brain). I liked how the reviews predicted he'd get saved...nah. lol not yet at least.**

 **Review!**

 **Love,**

 **Sarah**


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